Clinic Cafe Timor recently opened a new health clinic in Airacalau, Timor-Leste, its ninth new clinic in the past three years. Now the 4,000 residents of Airacalau have daily access to a range of medical services and preventive care. The new clinic is part of the nationwide rural health service operated by Cooperativa Cafe Timor, the country's largest farmers' cooperative. Along with the cooperative's four mobile health teams, the permanent clinics provide primary health care to some 120,000 rural Timorese.

"This new clinic will go a long way to improve the poor health status of the families in this remote area," explained Dr. Ross Brandon, the consultant advisor to Clinic Cafe Timor. Until the new clinic opened, Airacalau residents relied on a mobile health team's weekly visits.

In most rural areas, the clinics offer the only health care available. More than 300,000 patients have visited the clinics since they reopened after the civil disruption of late 1999. Now they serve about 15,000 patients a month. The service plans to open another two rural clinics in early 2004.

The health service is owned and operated by Cooperativa Cafe Timor. Though it works closely with the government, it is independent. With funding provided by USAID, the clinics are open to all Timorese. When the government's own health care system is established for Timor-Leste's rural population, the clinics will focus on providing health services to the cooperative's 20,000 member families using funds generated by the cooperative's coffee sales.

Cooperativa Cafe Timor is a vital part of Timor-Leste's economic development. USAID funds the cooperative, supporting its expansion, its health clinics, and a range of international marketing efforts to boost exports of the high-quality, organic coffee its members grow.