Highlights

In Nicoadala and Derre, C-Saúde has intensified its actions in collaboration with the Direcção Provincial de Saúde (DPS), with the aim of offering comprehensive support to people living with HIV. Realizing that the experience of being a person living with HIV goes beyond physical and clinical issues, the Ministry of Health’s psychosocial approach seeks to address the various dimensions that permeate the lives of people living with HIV, providing essential emotional support. Feelings of fear, anxiety and depression are common among people living with HIV, often intensified by the social stigma still present in society. The psychosocial counselling promoted by MISAU and implemented by CSaúde aims to create a safe environment where trained professionals work to demystify the condition, helping patients to develop skills that enable them to face the stigma and discrimination often associated with the diagnosis. As of August, this year, in Nicoadala and Derre, there were 30,693 patients on antiretroviral treatment, of which 864 are adolescents and young people aged 15 to 24, and 1.369 children aged 0 to 14. One of the pillars of the programme is the promotion of adherence to antiretroviral treatment, and emotional support is fundamental for these patients to face the barriers that can make adherence difficult. Psychosocial support therefore acts as a driving force, encouraging healthy behaviors and promoting a care routine that respects patients’ emotional needs. Interpersonal relationships are also profoundly affected by an HIV diagnosis. In this context, C-Saúde plays a vital role in facilitating communication and promoting diagnostic disclosure among family members, carers and partners. This support is essential for building an environment of better understanding of the disease and the treatment process as well as welcoming, allowing patients, through support groups, to feel comfortable sharing their experiences.In addition, identity and self-esteem are often impacted by an HIV diagnosis. By promoting support groups, C-Saúde offers a safe space for patients to reconnect with their identity and strengthen their self-image. The aim is to help each patient see beyond the diagnosis, rediscovering their individual value. The mental health professionals supported by C-Saúde are dedicated to ensuring that patients have access to appropriate care and support groups, ensuring that their health needs are met. Education is another fundamental component of this process; psychosocial support involves promoting information and clarifying doubts about HIV, helping to demystify the disease and encouraging safe health practices. Mental health, intrinsically linked to physical health, cannot be neglected. Psychosocial support includes constant care for patients’ mental health, addressing issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders. In summary, C-Saúde’s work in Zambézia demonstrates that psychosocial support is not only a necessity but a crucial strategy for improving the quality of life and retaining individuals living with HIV.  

As of 1 October 2024, Friends in Global Health (FGH) will complete its transition to Associação Centro Pela Saúde Global (C-Saúde), a Mozambican non-profit organisation created in 2021. This transition process represents a significant change in the way public health programmes are developed and implemented in Mozambique. C-Saúde’s mission is to support the Government of the Republic of Mozambique, its partners and civil society in designing and implementing evidence-based public health programmes. C-Saúde will play a crucial role in strengthening the National Health System, acting in various areas such as medical care, laboratories, pharmacies, health information systems, human resources management, community health, health communication, strategic information and carrying out evaluations and research. These actions aim to create effective programmes and enrich knowledge in the area of public health. The transition process from FGH to C-Saúde began in May 2023, with the signing of a sub-agreement that transferred all the central support that FGH provided to health information systems under the support of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Mozambique. In October 2023, this transition expanded to technical and clinical support activities in the districts of Nicoadala and Derre in Zambezia province. Currently, at central, provincial and district level, the FGH management is holding meetings with all the organization’s employees to provide detailed information about this transition process. The purpose of the meetings is to clarify doubts and explain the implications and opportunities that will arise in this new phase. The participation of all employees is crucial for the continuation of a collaborative and transparent working environment during this period of change. With the finalization of the transition, the entire human resources team that was previously under the responsibility of the FGH will be integrated into C-Saúde. The technical supervision of the district team will continue to be carried out by C-Saúde’s provincial and central team, which remains accountable to the donors for the implementation of the project. It is important to note that this transition is part of a wider effort to transfer the implementation of HIV epidemic control programmes in Mozambique from international non-governmental organizations to local entities. This change represents an important step towards the autonomy and empowerment of local organizations to lead health initiatives in their own territory. As Mozambique moves towards building a stronger and more resilient health system, C-Saúde is emerging as a local force determined to lead the fight against epidemic diseases and strengthen public health in general.

IN NICOADALA DISTRICT, in partnership with Provincial Health Department (DPS), C-Saúde has implemented various strategies to improve the quality of health services. In line with local socio-economic characteristics, C-Saúde has contributed to the provision of health care in a timely manner, in accordance with the needs and expectations of users, as guided by the Ministry of Health in its policy on Quality and Humanisation of Health Service Provision. The main aim of the initiative is to guarantee wider and more equal access to healthcare for the entire community. As well as expanding the supply of health services, the initiative seeks to raise the quality of care provided, helping to overcome the low culture of care in health units and increasing the number of people tested and who know their serological status. Through the Qualy campaign, C-Saúde is reaffirming its commitment to promoting health as a fundamental right for all and is seeking to strengthen the population’s trust in the health services it offers. With this, it contributes to achieving the 95-95-95 target set by the MoH, which aims to eliminate the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country as a public health problem by 2030.During the Qualy campaign, health fairs are held in the neighbourhoods and localities adjacent to the health units supported by C-Saúde in the Nicoadala district. Various health services are made available, such as tuberculosis screening