Monday, December 11, 2017

Mozambique: President Nyusi Wants Massive Campaign Against Malaria
Mozambique Information Agency (AIM)

President Filipe Nyusi on 8 December urged the Ministry of Health to lead a massive campaign against malaria in 2018. Speaking at the ceremony to lay the first stone for a new general hospital in the northern city of Nampula, President Nyusi expressed his concern at the large number of cases of malaria in Nampula province.

"I am worried by the persistent occurrence of malaria and cholera, two diseases that can be avoided", he said. "Malaria kills and it is the number one cause of hospitalisation. The prevalence of malaria is falling very slowly in Nampula and Zambezia".

He took the opportunity to criticise those who refuse to sleep under mosquito nets, or refuse to allow their homes to be sprayed with insecticide.

"The best way of fighting malaria is prevention", said the President. "Secure ways of doing this are using mosquito nets and spraying houses. Let the health professionals spray your houses in order to protect the entire community".

To illustrate his government's commitment to the health service, President Nyusi said the government is spending about 100 million meticais (US$1.67 million) a year in activities to prevent avoidable diseases.

He stressed the need for decent sanitation, and declared that all Mozambican municipalities should clean up the environment not merely in the wealthy parts of cities and towns, but also on the poorer, semi-rural periphery.

The new general hospital, in the Nampula neighbourhood of Natikiri will have 350 beds, and will make available maternity, paediatric, orthopaedic and surgical services.

President Nyusi also chaired the ceremony marking the start of paving the road from Nampula city to Nametil, capital of Mogovolas district, a distance of 70.6 kilometres. This is part of government plans to improve road connections between districts in the south and east of the province.

President Nyusi said that better roads will ensure the movement of agricultural and fisheries produce between Angoche, Moma, Monapo and Meconta districts and Nampula city.

Roads had already been tarred in the west of the province, he added, linking the city to Ribaue and Malema district. Work was now underway to pave the stretch from Malema to Cuamba, in Niassa province.

This was all part of the government's plans for a decent network of paved roads from Maputo, through Nampula, all the way to the Niassa provincial capital, Lichinga, and to Metangula, on the shores of Lake Niassa.

The Nampula-Nametil road is being financed by South Korea. "It was a wise decision by our friends in South Korea to bank on the vision of our government for developing these infrastructures".

The Korean ambassador, Heung Soo Kim, praised the cooperation between the two countries. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1993 up until now, he said, South Korea had invested US$400 million in 12 projects in Mozambique, the largest of which was the Quelimane Central Hospital, in Zambezia province.

Tarring the road will cost US$41.5 million, and will take 30 months.

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