Tarcísio Maria Amaral is a public health professional dedicated to strengthening local health systems and advancing equitable access to quality care in Timor-Leste. He currently serves as Manager for Municipal Health System Strengthening under the DFAT-funded Partnership for Human Development (PHD) program, which works in partnership with the Government of Timor-Leste to improve primary health care and reduce disparities in service access and outcomes. In this role, Tarcísio supports municipal health authorities to strengthen governance, service delivery, and data-informed decision-making across focus municipalities.

Tarcísio’s work centers on improving how primary health care systems are planned, implemented, and monitored at the local level. He supports municipal health teams to develop evidence-based plans, strengthen routine performance monitoring, and use data to identify service gaps and prioritize actions that better respond to community needs. His approach reflects a strong belief that well-functioning municipal health systems are essential to reaching rural populations, women, children, and people living in hard-to-reach areas who often face the greatest barriers to care.

One of Tarcísio’s most significant contributions has been strengthening municipal health planning and performance monitoring through structured quarterly and annual health performance reviews. He has provided technical guidance on monitoring and evaluation, facilitated review meetings that link service data with planning and budgeting decisions, and mentored municipal staff to interpret trends and translate findings into practical improvements. This work has supported more realistic operational planning, stronger accountability, and increased ownership by local teams, helping routine health information become a tool for action rather than reporting alone.

Shaped by early experience working at the community and municipal level, Tarcísio is driven by a commitment to addressing the systemic gaps that disproportionately affect rural and underserved populations. By combining technical expertise with a collaborative, grounded approach, he works to ensure that equity is built into how health systems function day to day.