PRESS RELEASE
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U.S. Government Funds New Health Center to Advance Response to HIV/AIDS in Maputo Province
November 12, 2021 – The United States Deputy Chief of Mission, Abigail Dressel, joined today the Maputo Province Governor, Júlio José Parruque, and other dignitaries to inaugurate the Matola Santos Health Center. The infrastructure will provide essential HV/AIDS and other health services in this Matola city’s neighborhood.
Resulting from a combined effort from the Maputo province health authorities, the United States Government, through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ARIEL Foundation and the Anglican Church, the health facility was built as a response to health data analysis that indicated the need for improved coverage of health services at the Matola Santos community. Funded by the U.S. President´s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) at $730,000, the clinic is expected to serve approximately 56,000 people in that community.
In addition to offering services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, the Deputy Chief of Mission Abigail Dressel explained that the clinic will “test and treat patients with HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and other diseases, and provide other essential health services for the community.”
The construction project included an area for reception and archive, consultation rooms, laboratory, pharmacy, adolescent and youth friendly services (SAAJ), toilets for staff and patients, and a kitchen. The installation of an electricity transformation and distribution system and a water catchment tank were also contemplated in the project.
In her remarks, the Deputy Chief of Mission noted that this investment is part of a U.S. Government commitment to respond to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic that has saved and improved millions of lives around the world since 2004.
“Thanks to these investments and our combined efforts, more than 1.5 million Mozambicans are receiving life-saving HIV treatment. And just last year, we helped to build and open four laboratories that dramatically expanded access to quality HIV and tuberculosis services”, said Abigail Dressel.
The U.S. Government is also supporting Mozambique to strengthen resilience against the COVID-19 pandemic through a long-standing partnership between the two countries. Through August 2021, more than US$60 million have been invested in preventing, testing, screen, and treat cases of COVID-19 in the country. The United States has also donated more than 630,000 single-dose vaccines to the people of Mozambique to help advance the response to the pandemic at the country level.
Since 2001, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has worked closely with the Government of Mozambique, non-governmental organizations, and multilateral partners to address some of Mozambique’s most significant public health challenges, including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and COVID-19. For more information about CDC´s global health work visit www.cdc.gov.
For more information about this press release, please contact the U.S. Embassy Maputo Press Office at MaputoPress@state.gov.
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