Mozambique is plagued by a series of health conditions, both
communicable and
chronic. The most prevalent diseases in Mozambique include perinatal disorders,
HIV, and
malaria. Many of said conditions in Mozambique are a result of similar risk factors, including the leading risk factor of
malnutrition.
Communicable diseases Malaria In Mozambique, malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially among children and relating to
maternal mortality. For instance, a study in the early 1990s found that 15.5% of all maternal moralities in the Mozambican capital of
Maputo were due to malaria. Malaria represents approximately 45% of all outpatient cases, 56% of inpatient cases at pediatric clinics, and 26% of all hospital deaths in Mozambique. Malaria is endemic throughout Mozambique with seasonal peaks during and after the rainy season. The distribution of HIV/AIDS throughout the country is not even, with certain provinces, including the provinces of
Maputo and
Gaza, having incidence rates twice as high as the national average. According to the 2011
UNAIDS Report, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Mozambique appears to be slowing, as evidenced by the fact that in March 2014 over 416,000 Mozambicans were receiving anti-retroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS. According to a 2005 study by Victor Agadjanian published in the Journal of Social Science and Medicine, women are deficient as compared to men in both knowledge of HIV/AIDS infection and prevention of the disease. According to a study by
Jan Low et al. published in the Journal of Nutrition, Mozambique is combating this deficiency using an integrated approach of both food and supplements. Maternal malnutrition is also a primary concern for Mozambique, as it has direct consequences on fetal and infant growth and disease prevalence. Additionally, a 2003 study by Francesco Burchi published in the Journal of Economics and Human Biology found that an increase in maternal schooling, especially when supplemented with nutritional education, significantly decreases
childhood malnutrition rates of those children raised by educated mothers. Current public health interventions in Mozambique seek to reduce rates of malnutrition by studying risk factors of malnutrition and
food insecurity in urban and rural areas, as well as addressing historical and current social determinants of health at the primary health care level.
Maternal and child health According to a
USAID report, there has been significant expansion in maternal and child health programming since the turn of the century. For example, the report cites that 97 percent of pregnant women in Mozambique now have access to pre-natal care. Health resources for pregnant women in Mozambique have also been improving in order to be more accessible in recent years thanks to overarching government initiatives in human rights, which influence access to information, education, and resources to women in need. In Mozambique 23% of women are of reproductive age and 46% are younger than 15. Because of this large proportion of women potentially requiring access to sexual, reproductive, and
maternal healthcare, domestic and international initiatives have been in the works since 2000 to remove legal barriers to women's access to these services. ==See also==