The Inhambane provincial government intends to deepen cooperation with Canada, focusing simultaneously on strengthening the healthcare system and attracting private investment to boost the local economy. This objective was discussed last Wednesday (the 15th) during a meeting between Inhambane Governor Francisco Pagula and Rick Steenweg, the political and public affairs officer at the Canadian High Commission in Mozambique, who represented the high commissioner.
According to the newspaper O País, during the meeting, the two parties reviewed the status of the project to build four new health centers in the province, for which public procurement processes are already underway. The health facilities will be built in Canetane, in the Zavala district; Chambule, in Inharrime; Macachula, in Massinga; and Murruri, in the Vilankulo district.
With the completion of these facilities, the provincial government aims to strengthen healthcare delivery capacity, bring services closer to communities, and reduce the pressure on referral healthcare facilities. The initiative is also expected to help improve the population’s access to medical care, particularly in areas with lower healthcare coverage.
In addition to the health component, the meeting provided an opportunity to explore ways to strengthen economic cooperation between Inhambane and Canada. During the meeting, Francisco Pagula presented the province’s main areas of potential to the diplomatic representatives, highlighting sectors such as tourism, agriculture, industry, and natural resources, and advocating for greater participation by Canadian businesspeople in investment projects in the region.
According to the provincial government, the strategy involves expanding cooperation beyond development assistance, prioritizing a partnership based on productive investment. The goal is to attract private capital capable of generating jobs, boosting the local economy, and promoting sustainable growth in the province.
The closer ties between Inhambane and Canada come at a time when Canada remains one of Mozambique’s key cooperation partners, particularly in the health sector. In 2024, the Canadian government announced $20 million in funding for a sexual and reproductive health project targeting girls and young women in the province, in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan.
This initiative builds on a long-standing collaboration between Canada and Inhambane in the health sector. Over the years, this cooperation has helped train health professionals, strengthen health institutions, and implement maternal and neonatal health programs in several districts of the province.
Wednesday’s meeting reinforces this bilateral partnership and marks a new phase of cooperation, which will now combine investments in social infrastructure with the promotion of private investment. For the provincial government, the construction of the four new health centers is an immediate priority and represents an important step toward improving health services and boosting Inhambane’s economic development.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article:https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/07/17/negocios/inhambane-governo-provincial-quer-reforcar-cooperacao-com-o-canada/
