Maputo, 3 April (AIM) – The United States government donated protective equipment against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats to the Mozambican State.

The Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Maputo, Abigail Dressel, handed over the equipment to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Victor Canhemba Júnior, on Thursday.

Speaking at the delivery ceremony, Canhemba Júnior said that the gesture symbolizes “not only the delivery of material resources, but above all the strengthening of a strategic partnership based on mutual trust and commitment to the protection of human life and the environment”.

“The threats associated with dangerous substances are no longer a distant concern, but a real risk with potential impact in any region of the world,” he stated.

In the specific case of chemical agents, he warned of their devastating effects, with an impact on public health, the environment and critical infrastructures, which requires greater institutional preparation and coordinated response capacity.

In this context, he highlighted the strategic role of SENSAP (National Security and Public Assistance System) as a first-line force in emergency situations, defending the continuous investment in technical resources and the training of its personnel.

“The donation of this material represents a significant reinforcement of our operational capacity, allowing us to improve readiness levels, reduce response times and increase the effectiveness of rescue operations,” he stated.

He also valued the training component, considering that the training provided to SENSAP members is a crucial step to guarantee the correct use of equipment and the dissemination of knowledge.

“Training not only ensures the correct use of resources, but also creates a nucleus of experts capable of replicating best practices across the country,” he added.

He also highlighted that responding to incidents involving weapons of mass destruction requires an integrated approach, involving the sectors of the State apparatus that deal with health, defense, environment and civil protection.

“This is a joint effort that requires institutional coordination and a multidisciplinary approach,” he said.

Canhemba Junior also reiterated Mozambique’s commitment to aligning its prevention and response mechanisms with international standards, taking into account its geostrategic position and the challenges associated with internal security.
(AIM)
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Maputo, 3 April (AIM) – The Ministry of Health of Mozambique launched on Thursday a Harmonized Planning Program that aims to optimize the use of available financial resources in a context of reduced donor funding.

According to the Minister of Health, Ussene Isse, the initiative aims to align the sector’s actions at national level, involving the government, partners, civil society and communities, in order to achieve more efficient and sustainable results.

The minister explained that the new model is based on the principle of “a plan, a budget and a monitoring system”, allowing to maximize the use of scarce resources.

“This approach will help us to better use available resources and ensure a greater impact of interventions in the health sector. Among the main challenges facing the sector are reduced funding, limited visibility of available resources, fragmentation of interventions and duplication of actions at local level”, he stated.

These weaknesses, he said, result in inefficiencies, making it difficult to respond to the communities’ priority problems.

The minister highlighted that harmonized planning will allow for a clearer definition of priorities, as well as a more efficient allocation of resources.

The initiative should also strengthen the community subsystem, promoting greater coherence between the priorities of the health sector and other areas of development, with a direct impact on improving access to healthcare.

Isse also highlighted the role of donors, euphemistically called “cooperation partners”, whose interventions, especially at community level, will be better coordinated through this model.

“The objective is to create a clear matrix of interventions by non-governmental organizations and partners, by province and district, in order to avoid duplication and improve the effectiveness of actions”, he said.
(AIM)
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Maputo, 2 Apr (AIM) – The Minister of Health of Mozambique, Ussene Isse, said he felt embarrassed by the theft of medicines from the country’s hospitals.

When giving the opening lecture at the Higher Institute of Health Sciences in Maputo, on Wednesday, Isse accused some health professionals of treating their patients “without due humanism”.

“I feel very ashamed when we are questioned by the public,” he admitted. He recalled that they told him: “Mr. Minister, here in your hospital they demand illegal charges. Here in your hospital they mistreat us. Here in your hospital they are stealing medicines. How can I be happy when I hear these things?”

The worst problems with illegal charges occurred in maternity wards, Isse said. Pregnant women hid money in their clothes to offer as bribes in exchange for preferential treatment.

Isse also criticized the health professionals who participated in the demonstrations. “A good healthcare professional does not live in busy environments”, he warned.

He urged hospital managers to analyze the level of satisfaction of hospital users and insisted that medical faculties must teach medical ethics.
(AIM)
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Maputo, 2 Apr (AIM) – The Frelimo party, in power in Mozambique, demanded the government to take measures to address a possible fuel shortage.

A week ago, the government assured the public that, despite US/Israeli aggression against Iran, and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Mozambique is not in imminent danger of running out of liquid fuels.

Many drivers did not believe such assurances, and there was panic buying of gasoline and diesel at fuel pumps in Maputo and the neighboring city of Matola last Friday and Saturday.

The queues of vehicles in Maputo have decreased but there are alarming reports from other parts of the country. Thus, on Thursday, the independent television station STV reported that in the city of Xai-Xai, capital of Gaza province, only two pumps had fuel to sell.

Meeting in Maputo on Wednesday, the Frelimo Political Commission took a much less optimistic position on the fuel crisis than the government. The Political Commission demanded that the government take “urgent measures” to deal with a possible fuel shortage.

In a statement read to the press by Frelimo spokesperson, Pedro Guiliche, the Commission instructed the government “to adopt short and medium-term mechanisms to face the current fuel crisis, resulting from the conflict in the Middle East, whose effects are being felt throughout the world”.

The Political Commission told the government “to ensure the availability of sufficient fuel reserves to maintain stable supplies, while monitoring developments in the conflict in the Middle East”.

As a short-term measure, the Commission ordered the government to ensure the availability of foreign exchange to import fuel and other essential goods. The government should “carefully use the Stabilization Fund, directing resources to cushion shocks, focusing on protecting the most vulnerable segments of society.”

Prices must be continuously monitored, he added, to avoid running out of stocks and avoid any speculation. It also called for an increase in fuel storage capacity.

So far there have been no requests for fuel rationing. However, this is a measure that Mozambique has used in previous moments of severe fuel shortages. A rationing system was in place in Maputo in the early 1980s and was probably instrumental in keeping transport in the city running.
(AIM)
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Maputo, 2 April (AIM) – The United Kingdom disbursed US$79.9 million to support Mozambique’s water supply systems.

In a statement, the UK government explains that through the Transformation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services (T-WASH), which was implemented between 2015 and 2026, the UK supported Mozambique’s National Rural Water and Sanitation Strategy, financing more than 200 water systems and approximately 2,000 wells in rural communities, strengthening systems for planning, distributing and maintaining water and sanitation services.

“The T-WASH program, with the respective funds delivered in two phases, has improved sanitation for 3.3 million people, with the United Kingdom supporting Mozambique’s National Rural Water and Sanitation Strategy (PRONASAR) since 2009”, the document reads.

The program was implemented in partnership with the National Directorate of Water Supply and Sanitation (DNAAS).

“With the end of the 10-year water access program, the United Kingdom now promises to focus on mobilizing funds for climate finance and private investment, reducing dependence on traditional aid financing and ensuring the long-term sustainability of infrastructure already built”, the note reads.

UK funding for water supplies is ending after the government announced that the country needs $4.1 billion to drive the expansion of sustainable water supply and sanitation systems.
(AIM)
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Maputo, 2 Apr (AIM) – Mozambican health authorities intend to vaccinate around 3.5 million people against cholera in nine districts in central and northern Mozambique.

The seven-day campaign, which begins Friday, will cover the districts of Nacala-Port, Érati and Monapo, in Nampula province; Pemba and Metuge, in Cabo Delgado; Morrumbala, in the central province of Zambézia; City of Moatize and Tete, in the province of Tete; and the central city of Beira.

According to government spokesman and Minister of State Administration, Inocêncio Impissa, vaccination aims to reinforce immunization in the areas most affected by cholera.

Data from the Ministry of Health indicate that, from October 2025 to March 24 of this year, more than 8 thousand cases of cholera were recorded, resulting in 83 deaths.

According to the Ministry’s most recent bulletin, of the 8,022 cases reported, 3,545 occurred in Nampula, with 39 deaths, and 2,771 in Tete, with 32 deaths.

Cabo Delgado recorded 1,050 cases and eight deaths, while Zambézia reported 129 cases and one death.

Sofala province reported 392 cases and one death, and Manica recorded 132 cases and two deaths.

In the southern provinces, Gaza recorded one case, while the province and city of Maputo reported two cases each.

The overall fatality rate remains around one percent, with 49 people currently hospitalized.

The occurrence of cholera outbreaks is associated with the rainy season, which begins in October 2025, and generally ends at the end of March.
(AIM)
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