U.S. government funds new health centre to advance response to HIVAIDS in Maputo province

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U.S. government funds new health centre to advance response to HIVAIDS in Maputo province

7:54 CAT | 18 Nov 2021

The U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission in Mozambique, Abigail Dressel and, Maputo Province Governor, Júlio José Parruque, visiting an health fair exhibitor during the inauguration of the Matola Santos Health Centre.

The United States Deputy Chief of Mission, Abigail Dressel, joined on Friday (November 12) the Maputo Province Governor, Júlio José Parruque, and other dignitaries to inaugurate the Matola Santos Health Center. The infrastructure will provide essential HV/AIDS and other health services in this Matola city’s neighbourhood.

Resulting from a combined effort from the Maputo province health authorities, the United States Government, through the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ARIEL Foundation and the Anglican Church, the health facility was built as a response to health data analysis that indicated the need for improved coverage of health services at the Matola Santos community. Funded by the U.S. President´s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) at $730,000, the clinic is expected to serve approximately 56,000 people in that community.

In addition to offering services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, the Deputy Chief of Mission Abigail Dressel explained that the clinic will “test and treat patients with HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and other diseases, and provide other essential health services for the community.”

The construction project included an area for reception and archive, consultation rooms, laboratory, pharmacy, adolescent and youth friendly services (SAAJ), toilets for staff and patients, and a kitchen. The installation of an electricity transformation and distribution system and a water catchment tank were also contemplated in the project.

In her remarks, the Deputy Chief of Mission noted that this investment is part of a U.S. Government commitment to respond to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic that has saved and improved millions of lives around the world since 2004.

“Thanks to these investments and our combined efforts, more than 1.5 million Mozambicans are receiving life-saving HIV treatment. And just last year, we helped to build and open four laboratories that dramatically expanded access to quality HIV and tuberculosis services”, said Abigail Dressel.

The U.S. Government is also supporting Mozambique to strengthen resilience against the COVID-19 pandemic through a long-standing partnership between the two countries. Through August 2021, more than US$60 million have been invested in preventing, testing, screen, and treat cases of COVID-19 in the country. The United States has also donated more than 630,000 single-dose vaccines to the people of Mozambique to help advance the response to the pandemic at the country level.

Since 2001, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has worked closely with the Government of Mozambique, non-governmental organisations, and multilateral partners to address some of Mozambique’s most significant public health challenges, including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and COVID-19. For more information about CDC´s global health work visit www.cdc.gov.

Source: US Embassy in Mozambique / Media Release