Improving conditions for women and children in Mozambique
Mozambique, on the southeast coast of Africa, suffers from high rates of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, malaria, diarrhea, and tuberculosis. There are positive signs, however. The country’s per capita expenditure on health has increased in recent years, along with greater use of improved water and sanitation. Crucially, deaths of pregnant women and young children are declining.
PATH’s presence in Mozambique is growing as we aim to further these gains in women’s and children’s health. As a result of global efforts supported by PATH, the country added rotavirus vaccines to its national immunization program. These lifesaving vaccines protect children from the primary cause of severe and fatal diarrhea. Our current projects focus primarily on maternal, newborn, and child health; early childhood development; and malaria.
Our work in Mozambique
Child health, nutrition, and development: PATH aims to not only reduce the number of children who die from preventable causes but to ensure their long-term physical, cognitive, and emotional health. Our interventions focus on the first 1,000 days—from a woman’s pregnancy to her child’s second birthday. Our integrated program combines early childhood development activities, such as educating caregivers to stimulate child growth and learning, with a range of health interventions, including safe childbirth and nutrition support.
Malaria: As the lead partner in the MalariaCare project, PATH works closely with the National Malaria Control Program to provide high-quality malaria diagnosis and treatment. Our approaches range from training and supportive supervision to strengthening the quality of electronic data collection and analysis for better decision-making. The result is improved accuracy of testing and a greater number of patients tested and receiving treatment consistent with test results.HIV/AIDS: PATH works to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. We also bring essential health, nutrition, and care interventions to orphans and other children affected by HIV. The result is a chance at a better life for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable pregnant women and young children.
Photo: PATH/Svetlana Drivdale.