Flores Timur launches midwifery resilience project for disasters and climate risks

Ende — Flores Timur on Monday, 31 August 2026, launched Project Mentari Adaptif and a midwifery resilience programme to keep reproductive, maternal and neonatal health services running during disasters and climate-related disruption, according to RRI and TVRI News. The initiative is aimed at strengthening midwives’ capacity and the preparedness of health facilities across the district.

The programme comes as Flores Timur faces repeated disaster risks, including the threat posed by Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki and the impact of earthquakes in the wider Flores region, the reports said. Officials framed the project as a response to the reality that health services in the district must function even when access routes and facilities are disrupted.

RRI quoted Flores Timur Regent Anton Doni Dihen as saying the district’s geography makes service delivery difficult and requires health workers to adapt when conditions change. The report also quoted AIPKIN chair Jumiarni Ilyas, who said midwives need to be ready to care for pregnant women, women in labour, postpartum mothers and newborns before, during and after emergencies.

Three stages of disaster readiness

The programme is organised around three stages: preparation before a disaster, response during the emergency and recovery afterward, according to the reports. Its practical focus is on knowledge, skills and readiness among midwives, along with stronger health facilities so services can continue when access is cut or infrastructure is damaged.

The sources do not identify the participating hospitals, clinics or villages, and they do not detail the training curriculum, emergency stockpiles, transport arrangements or referral protocols. They do say the project is intended to improve the continuity of reproductive, maternal and neonatal care when a crisis interrupts normal operations.

TVRI News reported that the launch was held at Hotel Sunrise in Larantuka and described the programme as a cross-sector collaboration involving the local government, health workers, professional groups and development partners. The report also said the Australian government is supporting the effort through its representatives in Jakarta.

According to the same report, Elena Martin Avila, acting counsellor for governance and human development at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, said recent earthquakes in Flores were a reminder that reproductive, maternal and neonatal services must remain available during crises. The reports did not specify the value, duration or delivery mechanism of Australia’s support.

For pregnant women, mothers and newborns, even short disruptions can become dangerous because care is time-sensitive. The project’s central claim is that preparedness has to be built before a crisis, not improvised after roads are blocked, communications fail or facilities are damaged.

Why the project matters

Health resilience is especially important in a district with difficult geography and high exposure to natural hazards. By focusing on midwives and frontline facilities, the project aims to create a system that can keep essential maternal and newborn care available when ordinary service delivery is under stress.

The launch adds Flores Timur to a wider Indonesian effort to strengthen health systems against disasters and climate pressures. In practical terms, the programme is meant to help midwives and facilities stay operational across the full emergency cycle — before, during and after a crisis.

Sources

• RRI.co.id
• TVRI News