What we do

The Public Health Development, Health Promotion, and Monitoring Division’s primary goal is to develop and implement programs to help people learn about good health practices and produce informational, educational, and communicational materials to help the general public spread various health information and maintain good health habits.

The Tobacco Control Program’s goals are to safeguard Maldivians from tobacco’s scourge, particularly by raising public awareness of its negative effects on social, economic, and health conditions, lowering the percentage of smokers, giving habitual smokers the support, they need to stop, shielding non-smokers from “indirect” tobacco smoke, and discouraging the next generation from taking up the habit.

To promote health , quality of life by protecting people from the spread of disease outbreaks .Proactively respond to potential epidemics and outbreaks of communicable diseases. To monitor and provide guidance on communicable illness outbreaks and epidemics to the country

This program is in charge of organizing and carrying out vaccination-related activities in the Maldives. The program’s primary goals include lowering the number of vaccine-preventable illnesses and fatalities, identifying and immunizing those at risk (pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and infants), and organizing vaccination campaigns to protect and prevent vaccine-preventable diseases (disease outbreaks).

The Government recognizes that national development frameworks and strategic initiatives need to include a reference to migrant health to improve its ability to facilitate the well-being of migrants and their access to health care with special provisions for vulnerable groups such as migrant women and irregular migrants. The Health Protection Agency, as the focal agency for migration health, facilitates and coordinates participation from relevant Ministries, agencies, civil society, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and other stakeholders to undertake a comprehensive and integrated approach in implementing the National Migration Health-related activities in Maldives.

The National Migrant Health Programme has the following mandates:

• Provision of preventive health care
• High-level advocacy and resource mobilization
• Coordination of post-arrival health screening for migrants
• Awareness programs for migrants on preventive measures for diseases
• Organize health camps and screening for migrants
• Develop standards for migrant health screenings for work visa application and renewal
• Coordinates mass screenings for communicable diseases of public health importance

The overall goal of the programme is to improve the health status of all migrants in all stages of the migration cycle and to the fullest realization and protection of their fundamental right to health.

The incidence and prevalence of HIV, STIs, and viral hepatitis in the Republic of the Maldives

remain low, even amongst key populations (KP and migrants) at the highest risk. The prevalence of HIV and syphilis has been low and is steadily declining in the Maldives. Since 1991 when HIV was first detected, the annual rate of new infections detected has ranged from 0-2 cases per 100,000 population, during the same period new cases of syphilis have fluctuated from 0-9 per 100,000 population

Current national policies on this disease include direct efforts to reduce risk behaviors and prevent transmission in the country as well as provide care support and treatment to all those infected, also anyone in the Maldives can ask for a free HIV test and testing will be made available at all levels of the health system, moreover, targeted testing including self-testing will be offered through community systems. Maldives will follow a test and treat policy and offer free treatment for people testing positive for HIV including migrants who get positive while living/working in the Maldives, and similarly, Hepatitis B and C treatment will be made available, for other STIs WHO-recommended syndromic management will be the preferred approach. PreP and PEP are offered for people who need it, based on calculated risks

The National HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Other STIs program has the following mandates:

• Overall program coordination
• Develop policies, national strategic plans, national guidelines/standards, and protocols
• High-level advocacy and resource mobilization
• Technical assistance for prevention in KAPs and the general population.
• Monitoring, evaluation, and Supervision
• Quality assurance of prevention programmes
• Strengthening Strategic Information systems
• Surveillance
• National and global reporting of TB-related data

The vision and goal of the national programmes are to end HIV, other STIS, and viral hepatitis as a public health threat in Maldives by maintaining low prevalence and preventing further transmission, while ensuring that everyone living with these diseases has access to uninterrupted, affordable and effective care, support and treatment, without medical or social costs.

These goals will be achieved through preventing new infections of HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and other STIs and reducing deaths and improving the health of people living with these diseases.

TB ( Tuberculosis) 

The Government of Maldives (GoM) declared “Tuberculosis (TB) control” a public health

priority in 1960, and the first TB clinic was established in Male in 1962. This clinic then became the foundation that supported the initiation of TB treatment and control activities in Maldives. Since then, Maldives was able to reach several milestones in TB control, and towards TB elimination. BCG Vaccination was initiated in 1971 and reached 98% coverage in 1988.  Directly Observed Treatment, Short course (DOTS) was started in 1994, with a cure rate of approximately 97% by 1996.  Maldives was amongst the first five countries in the world to achieve TB global targets in case detection (70%) and cure rate (85%). Annual numbers of TB cases reported, from 137 in 2017 to 87 in 2021, Maldives has a target of “Ending TB by 2025”

The National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) has the following mandates:

• Overall program coordination
• Develop policies, standards, and national strategic plans
• Develop National guidelines and protocols
• Training, awareness, and advocacy.
• Maintain national TB register
• Manage program logistics including procurement and distribution of WHO-approved TB drugs
• Provide leadership and technical assistance
• Surveillance
• National and global reporting of TB-related data
• Monitoring and evaluation

The goal of NTP is to eliminate TB as a public health problem through national policy commitments and multisectoral action. The anticipated outcome during this period is to achieve the ending TB targets for the Maldives. This includes the detection of all infectious TB cases, detection of latent TB cases and cure all TB cases, to detect and treat all infected contacts, and to prevent the emergence of multi-drug resistant TB. The endTB targets will be achieved through quality-assured TB services, in-line with current International standards at NTP and all Government facilities, improving DOTS and DR-TB treatment for all diagnosed patients with DR-TB with a focus on population groups at high risk of TB, improve access to latest technology in diagnosis, increase coverage of social protection and social support for eligible people with TB and reduce treatment failure rates and strengthening TB surveillance that are of high quality and reliable for decision-making.

 The primary goal of the Reproductive Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health Program is to reduce the prevalence of reproductive health issues and the number of deaths caused by such issues. Implementing programs to detect reproductive cancer and also implement a skills-development program for healthcare professionals to improve their ability to identify and treat infertility and other reproductive diseases, as well as promote the creation and delivery of such services within the health sector. In addition, the division organizes public education campaigns and research on conditions that affect reproductive health. The program is also responsible for providing family planning services in all hospitals and healthcare facilities of Maldives.

The National Nutrition Program (NNP) is a priority of the government to honour food and nutrition commitments of the government’s strategic plans and aims to accelerate efforts to meet national and global nutrition mandates, to address all forms of malnutrition holistically through a whole-of-government approach, and to focus on improving food systems and overall environment towards the attainment of a healthier Maldivian population throughout the life course approach

The program is responsible for evidence generation, formulating policies, regulations, and programs to strengthen and build healthcare institutional capacity to support implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of nutrition-specific actions within the health sector and the community at large by adopting evidence-informed social and individual behaviour change communication interventions.

The NNP activities particularly focus on interventions, programs and policies that have the potential to simultaneously reduce the risk or burden of both undernutrition (including wasting, stunting and micronutrient deficiency or insufficiency) and overweight, obesity, and diet-related NCDs.

Climate change and health section has the responsibility of assessing and monitoring environmental and climate change health risks and improving health outcomes from air pollution, water sanitation and hygiene, waste management and other areas of the field, in collaboration with relevant national and international partner agencies.

The section plays a major role in the development and implementation of policies and plans relevant to the field, strengthening national capacity, development and dissemination of information, education and communication (IEC) materials, and empowering communities to promote healthier environments to improve the health outcomes.

In collaboration with relevant partners, the section ensures the implementation of interventions to build health sector resilience including carrying out of vulnerability assessments, development of plans and standards, building climate resilient infrastructure and strengthening national capacity of health system to deal with adverse health impacts from climate change.

Health and safety section has the responsibility of promoting healthy environments and work places, aiming to reduce the preventable injuries, intentional or unintentional and fatal deaths and disabilities in the country.

The work involves development of relevant regulations, plans and guidelines, building national capacity, development and dissemination of information, education and communication (IEC) materials and empowering communities to promote healthier environments and safe behaviour.

The section also plays a crucial role in advocating and actively engaging with government lead agencies, national and international partners in the field of work, to ensure the highest level of health and safety for all people and workers residing in the country. The section also gathers injury data via injury surveillance system to identify the public health burden and execute public health interventions to minimize the health risks and improve health outcomes.

The four main work areas of this section are occupational health and safety, injury prevention, drowning prevention and road safety

Vector control section has the responsibility of regulating public health measures to protect the populations against vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, zika, scrub typhus, etc. It is responsible for the development and implantation of regulations and standards under the Public Health Act (7/2012), implementation of vector control interventions with relevant government agencies, national and international partners with special focus given to reduce the vector-borne disease burden in the country.

The section is responsible for regular public health entomological surveillance of disease-carrying vectors, particularly mosquitoes, to understand their population dynamics, breeding sites, and behaviour patterns. This information helps in designing targeted vector control activities across the country throughout the year. It is also responsible for studying insecticide resistance, identification of disease causing vectors and emerging vector borne diseases for improving the overall public health.

This section plays a crucial role in building national capacity, educating the public about vector-borne disease transmission and preventive measures and ensure the development and dissemination of information, education and communication (IEC) and work closely with relevant partners and local communities to raise awareness on vector-borne diseases and its preventive measures.

In collaboration with port authorities and other relevant agencies this section also ensures port health sanitation and reduction of health risks. This involves carrying out monitoring inspection, implementing measures to prevent the introduction and spread of vector-borne diseases through international travellers, cargo, and vessels arriving at the ports.

This section was established to ensure all inspections required to implement the Public Health Protection Act (Law Number (2/2012)) and to take all required actions to protect and prevent public health concerns of residents of Maldives.

Under this Act (Public Health Protection Act, Law Number 2/2012), “Regulation for Hygiene Standards of Foodservices; (Regulation no: 2014/R-380) was introduced on 29^th October 2014 to pursuant section 55, 57, 58, 59 and 94 (r) and (t) of the Public Health Protection Act. Focusing on the hygiene standards required to be maintained by food services within the Maldives.

To ensure healthcare professionals are adequately equipped for such situations, it involves developing plans for emergency preparedness and response, as well as establishing associated regulations, guidelines, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Additionally, during instances of severe disease outbreaks or during times of disasters and emergencies, this also encompasses taking the lead in swiftly assessing the situation and managing health-related emergencies.

Port Health (International Border Health) is a section of Health Protection Agency. It has been formulated in accordance with “International Health Regulations (2005)” and “Public Health Act 7/2012”, to implement and enforce health safety standards at all international airports by ensuring health safety of all incoming and outgoing vessels (conveyances), passengers and crews to these ports (also called as Points of Entries), and to ensure that items imported and exported from these ports carry no risks to public health.

Surveillance is the ongoing, systematic collection, collation, analysis and dissemination of data for the purpose to predict, observe, and minimize the harm caused by outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemic situations. Maldives has a well-established indicator-based surveillance system for infectious diseases. Disease data is collected on incidence of persons developing infectious diseases, identified or defined in the notifiable disease list according to the relevant guidelines and SOPs developed.

In addition to disease outbreak control, care providers are required to report communicable diseases to maintain certification and disease-free status, comply with mandatory international reporting under International Health Regulations and to help target prevention programs, identify care needs, and use limited prevention resources efficiently.

Regulations:

• Port Health Regulation 2019/R-1007

• Regulation for Hygiene Standards of Food Services 2014/R-380

Regulations:

• Regulation on Smoke-Free Public Places R-41/2012

• Guidelines for Licensing a Designated Smoke-free Area

• Packaging and Labelling of Tobacco Products R-158/2019

• First Amendment R-1028/2019

• Second Amendment R-1046/2019

• Design and Layout Standards under regulation R-158/2019