U.S. Embassy
Avenida Kenneth Kaunda, 193
Caixa Postal, 783
Maputo
MOZAMBIQUE
PRESS RELEASE
U.S. and Mozambican officials join to welcome Matola Santos Hospital
August 25, 2020 – Today, representatives from the United States Embassy participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Matola Santos Hospital, a U.S. Government-funded construction project that will greatly expand patient access to HIV treatment and other essential services.
Mozambican dignitaries at the event included Maputo Provincial Governor, Architect Júlio José Parruque, Provincial Permanent Secretary, Célio Ngoca, and Provincial Health Director, Dr. Daniel Chemane.
The Matola Santos Hospital should be complete by the end of November 2020 with a total cost of $730,000. The construction will include a reception area, consultation room, laboratory, staff restrooms and kitchenette, a public restroom, upgraded electrical power transformer and electrical grid, as well as the addition of a water catchment tank.
The U.S. Government considers the Matola Santos Hospital to be a critical investment that will improve the country’s ability to control the national HIV epidemic and respond independently to other disease threats. Current data reflects the impact of the HIV epidemic in Matola and the need for comprehensive care and treatment. In July 2020, 143,873 people were in HIV treatment in Maputo Province, 64,871 of whom were in the district of Matola, and 7,265 of whom were seen at Matola Health Center C and Matola Santos Mobile Clinic with clinical technical assistance from Ariel Glaser Foundation Against Pediatric AIDS (ARIEL).
The facility is a demonstration of the U.S. Government’s focus on expanding PEPFAR-funded infrastructure throughout Mozambique, totaling over $7 million since 2017. PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) is a U.S. government initiative to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, and its projects benefit over 22 million people currently on HIV treatment.
Additionally, the U.S. Government has funded three molecular biology laboratories in Mavalane, Quelimane, and Machava, which will be handed over to the Mozambican government in the coming weeks. Another molecular biology laboratory in Nampula is expected to be complete by the end of September 2020.
The U.S. Government has also pledged approximately $3.6 million to fund health facility renovations, SAAJs (school health centers), and a new molecular biology laboratory in Gaza Province in 2020.
These projects and funding build on a foundation of more than $500 million in annual assistance the U.S. Government provides to improve the quality of education and healthcare, promote economic prosperity, and support the overall development of Mozambique.
For more information about this press release, please contact the U.S. Embassy Maputo Press Office at MaputoPress@state.gov.
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