Focal Point Information

Country: MOZAMBIQUE

Focal point: Ministry of Health of Mozambique

Sector of Health: Department of Environmental Health

Responder: Dra. Clotilde Da Graça Nhampulo – General Medical, Specialty in Hygiene and Epidemiology.

Country Population

The country's population of around 29 million is composed overwhelmingly of Bantu people. The largest religion in Mozambique is Christianity, with significant minorities following Islam and African traditional religions. Mozambique is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Southern African Development Community, and is an observer at La Francophonie.

Mozambique Food and Agriculture Situation

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition affected 43.7% of Mozambican children between the years of 2005 and 2011. The primary causes of malnutrition in Mozambique are poor diets, insufficient food intake, and multiple and/or reoccurring infectious diseases. Similarly, in 2007 study by Cambridge University, it was found that over 2 million children suffer from Vitamin A deficiency, the most prevalent pediatric nutrient deficiency in the country. There has been steady progress over the past 20 years with declining rates of underweight children and deaths by malnutrition and its related consequences. According to a study by Jan Low et al. published in the Journal of Nutrition, Mozambique is combating this deficiency using an integrated approach of both food and supplements.

Maternal malnutrition is also a primary concern for Mozambique, as it has direct consequences on fetal and infant growth and disease prevalence. Additionally, a 2003 study by Francesco Burchi published in the Journal of Economics and Human Biology found that an increase in maternal schooling, especially when supplemented with nutritional education, significantly decreases childhood malnutrition rates of those children raised by educated mothers. Current public health interventions in Mozambique seek to reduce rates of malnutrition by studying risk factors of malnutrition and food insecurity in urban and rural areas, as well as addressing historical and current social determinants of health at the primary health care level.

Agriculture (Mozambique Food Security Outlook Update, April 2018)

In the recent time the struggle that Mozambique facing, is the persistent stressed outcomes, from southern and center regions despite harvest season.

Observe the following key messages:

• In the interior of Gaza and Inhambane, northern Maputo, southern Tete, and parts of Manica and Sofala provinces, Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes persist as most poor households are facing depleted food stocks due to a failed 2017/18 cropping season. Beginning in June, food access is expected to worsen in these areas due to rising staple food prices and limited incomes. Most poor households’ outcomes in these areas are expected to gradually deteriorate to Crisis (IPC Phase 3), requiring urgent emergency assistance;

• During a rapid food security assessment in late March in Gaza Province, FEWS NET confirmed widespread areas of crop failure. These findings were also recently corroborated by the Crop and Early Warning Unit (DCAP) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MASA) that indicated there was total crop failure in the south for October planted crops. MASA/DCAP also noted water deficits that affected November and December planted crops in southern and central areas;

• From February to March, maize grain prices had a slight increase in half of the monitored markets, largely due to production shortfalls, and remained stable in the other half. This is typically when prices peak or begin to decline. On average,
  March maize grain prices were below the five-year average by 31 percent and below last year’s prices by 46 percent. Maize meal and rice prices were generally stable in all monitored markets and near last year’s levels.

Health Situation in Mozambique

Health in Mozambique has a complex history, influenced by the social, economic, and political changes that the country has experienced. Before the Mozambican Civil War, healthcare was heavily influenced by the Portuguese. After the Civil War, the conflict affected the country's health status and ability to provide services to its people, breeding the host of health challenges the country faces in present day.

Mozambique faces a number of ongoing health challenges including both infectious and chronic disease. Limited access to quality food and water, high levels of poverty and inaccessible health services influence health and prevalence of disease among people in Mozambique. Through national and international organizations, public programming, clinical work, and education, Mozambique is working to remedy these risk factors and to improve the health and wellbeing of its population.

Mozambique is plagued by a series of health conditions, both communicable and chronic. The most prevalent diseases in Mozambique include perinatal disorders, HIV, and malaria.Many of said conditions in Mozambique are a result of similar risk factors, including the leading risk factor of malnutrition.

Other relevant points of Mozambique

The only official language of Mozambique is Portuguese, which is spoken mostly as a second language by about half the population

Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources. The country's economy is based largely on agriculture, but industry is growing, mainly food and beverages, chemical manufacturing and aluminum and petroleum production. The tourism sector is also expanding. South Africa is Mozambique's main trading partner and source of foreign direct investment.

Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources. The country's economy is based largely on agriculture, but industry is growing, mainly food and beverages, chemical manufacturing and aluminium and petroleum production. The tourism sector is also expanding. South Africa is Mozambique's main trading partner and source of foreign direct investment, while Belgium, Brazil, Portugal and Spain are also among the country's most important economic partners. Since 2001, Mozambique's annual average GDP growth has been among the world's highest. However, the country is still one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world, ranking low in GDP per capita, human development, measures of inequality and average life expectancy.