U.S. Embassy
Avenida Kenneth Kaunda, 193
Caixa Postal, 783
Maputo
MOZAMBIQUE
PRESS RELEASE
Launch of Exhibition in Tunduro Gardens Marking the 15th Anniversary of PEPFAR in Mozambique
January 28, 2019 – MAPUTO – U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Bryan Hunt and Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Zacarias Zindoga launched today an exhibition on the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The exhibition marks the fifteenth anniversary of PEPFAR’s operations in Mozambique. Located in Maputo’s Tunduro Gardens, the exhibition will remain open to the public through mid-February. The President of the Maputo Municipal Council, David Simango, also attended the inauguration.
The exhibition consists of a series of eight displays that offer information on the global and national HIV/AIDS epidemic. The exhibition shows progress in the HIV/AIDS response, both globally and in Mozambique, to reach epidemic control by 2030. Gardens graciously offered to host the exhibition. Through the exhibition, the U.S. Mission hopes to both inform the public and encourage conversations on how the people of Mozambique can end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
In his remarks, Chargé d’Affaires Bryan D. Hunt said: “Persons living with HIV must not only initiate treatment, but also stay on it. HIV is a chronic disease. The key to controlling it in Mozambique will be to convince Mozambicans living with the disease to initiate and adhere to the full course of antiretroviral therapies that will help them lead healthy, normal lives. To that end, we look forward to continuing to work side-by-side with our Mozambican partners to control this epidemic.”
In his remarks, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health Dr. Zacarias Zindoga said “
Joint efforts between the Government of Mozambique and national and international partners, mainly PEPFAR and the Global Fund, have enabled us to substantially expand access to HIV diagnosis and treatment, with greater emphasis for the period from 2013 to 2018, in which the total number of health units offering antiretroviral treatment (ART) increased four-fold and the number of people receiving treatment for free increased three-fold. As a result, by December 2018, there were more than 1,440 health units across the country offering ART to more than one million people.
The U.S. Government administers its programs to combat HIV/AIDS in Mozambique in close coordination with the Ministry of Health and the National Council on HIV/AIDS. The U.S. Mission implements these programs through the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Peace Corps.
For more information about this press release, please contact the U.S. Embassy Maputo Press Office at MaputoPress@state.gov.
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