Mozambique reports more than 10,000 patients with substance-abuse-related mental disorders in first half of this year

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Mozambique reports more than 10,000 patients with substance-abuse-related mental disorders in first half of this year

3:28 CAT | 20 Oct 2025

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Saúde Mais]

Mozambique recorded more than 10,000 cases of mental disorders associated with drug and alcohol use in the first half of 2025, an increase of more than 9,000 cases compared to 2024, according to a report released on Friday.

The report on the situation of illicit drug use and trafficking in Mozambique, prepared by the Central Office for the Prevention and Combat of Drugs (GCPCD), indicates that, in the first six months of this year, the country recorded 10,921 patients with mental and behavioural disorders, compared to 1,543 in the same period last year.

“The largest number of patients was recorded in the city of Maputo, with 4,905 cases, for a total of 10,921, followed by the provinces of Sofala, with 1,623, and Manica, Nampula, and Maputo Province, which recorded 991, 921, and 914, respectively,” the document reads.

Of the total number of patients recorded as of June 2025, 8,563 were men and 2,358 were women, confirming the male prevalence of psychoactive substance use, with at least 6,381 hospitalized.

Mozambican health authorities have identified alcohol as the main cause of mental and behavioural disorders, followed by the combined use of multiple drugs.

“Among illicit drugs, cannabinoids were responsible for 2,644 cases (…). Tobacco remains a widely consumed substance, with 1,737 cases nationwide,” states the Mozambican drug enforcement office.

In the report, the GCPCD warns of the increase in the number of hospitalizations and clinical complications related to the prolonged use of substances such as heroin, alcohol, and synthetic drugs, listing psychotic episodes, anxiety disorders, violent behaviour, and school dropout rates among the most common consequences, especially among young people between the ages of 18 and 35.

The authorities emphasize that “the use of psychoactive substances has a direct impact on individuals’ mental health, potentially causing or aggravating psychological disorders”, and advocate for the strengthening of community prevention and treatment programs.

The document also highlights the prevention work carried out by approximately 28,000 community activists, trained in the first half of 2025 to promote awareness campaigns in schools, markets, and neighbourhoods about the risks of drug and alcohol use. These activists benefited 780,966 people, an increase from last year’s 747,000.

These agents collaborate with health authorities in the early identification of addictions and referring patients to rehabilitation centres.

The provinces of Nampula, Sofala, and Maputo are leading the social reintegration efforts of former drug addicts through vocational training and psychosocial support programs.

The Mozambican Ministry of Health, cited in the report, estimates that 88 million meticais (one million Euros) were invested in treatment and rehabilitation programs, including methadone substitution therapies.

A total of 950 kilograms of drugs were seized and 294 people arrested in Mozambique in the first half of 2025, according to the same report, which highlights the involvement of public officials at drug entry points.

Mozambique is identified by several international organizations as a transit corridor for international drug trafficking bound for Europe and the United States, particularly heroin from Asia, but seizures of cocaine from South America have also increased.

Source: Lusa