Health in Mozambique that like many fellow Sub-Saharan African colonies, Mozambique’s health facilities were run by European Catholic missionaries in the area. The Chicuque Rural Hospital opened in 1913. Prior to the commencement of the Mozambican Civil War in 1975, the country had already been facing conditions of hardship since the 1960s. During this time, the country was plagued with violence and poverty in accordance with its struggle for independence from Portugal. Although very little is known about health initiatives in Mozambique throughout the nearly twenty-year period of violent conflict post-independence, it is known that period acted as a precursor and risk factor
Foreign relations of Mozambique years immediately following its independence, Mozambique benefited from considerable assistance from some western countries, notably the Scandinavians. The Soviet Union and its allies, however, became Mozambique's primary economic, military, and political supporters and its foreign policy reflected this linkage. This began to change in 1983; in 1984 Mozambique joined the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Western aid quickly replaced Soviet support, with the Scandinavians, Finland, the United States, the Netherlands, and the European Union becoming increasingly important sources of development assistance. Italy also maintains a profile in Mozambique as a result of its key role during the peace process.