Mozambique's Ministry of Health (MISAU) on Monday, 3 August, called on cooperation partners to more closely align their support with the sector's defined priorities, warning that significant resources are being directed toward secondary activities while health facilities face critical shortages of essential supplies.
Health Minister Ussene Isse argued that funds made available by cooperation partners must first respond to the needs of patients, citing shortages of medicines, gloves, dressing materials, and other consumables indispensable to the functioning of hospitals as among the sector's most pressing problems.
According to the minister, health authorities have consistently struggled to secure support for areas deemed urgent, while a portion of resources continues to be channelled into seminars, conferences, and study exchanges that, in his view, produce no direct impact on the delivery of healthcare.
The position was presented during the 2026 Biannual Health Sector Meeting (RBSS), a forum that brings together the government and cooperation partners to assess progress, discuss key challenges, and define priorities for strengthening Mozambique's national health system.
Ussene Isse stated that Mozambican citizens do not demand much from the health system, but expect to find functional health facilities, available professionals, dignified treatment, and care delivered with ethics, humanity, and respect. "When we change our plans and shift our focus to meetings, training sessions, conferences, and seminars, there are no results," he said.
For the minister, the performance of health authorities should not be measured by the number of gatherings held at venues such as Macaneta, Ponta do Ouro, or Bilene, but by the capacity to guarantee effective health services to the population. "The country does not have resources — that is the problem. Healthcare must be centred on patients, on people, and not on professionals who spend their time moving from one meeting to the next," he declared.
The minister also revealed that during visits to health facilities in some districts, authorities have found doctors and nurses absent for extended periods, leaving communities without assistance when they seek care. Despite his criticism, he clarified that the government is not opposed to meetings or seminars per se, but is advocating for a paradigm shift and greater focus on the practical application of resources allocated to the sector.
"Sometimes we have stock shortages — we have no gloves, no dressing materials — but when we approach a partner and say we need help to purchase gloves, dressing materials, and medicines, that is not considered a priority. Then suddenly a proposal appears for four, five, six, or seven million meticais for a training session in Macaneta, Ponta do Ouro, or Bilene, and I, as Health Minister, do not authorise it," Ussene Isse said.
The minister reiterated that the priority must be the citizen waiting for medicines and medical attention at health facilities. "We are not pursuing or fighting anyone, but we want alignment with what the priorities of our country are. Our mission is to strengthen lives in hospitals," he said.
The RBSS 2026 was attended by several cooperation partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations agencies, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Bank, the United States Government (USG) Troika, the Global Fund, and diplomatic representatives.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/08/04/desenvolvimento-2/misau-quer-parceiros-alinhados-com-as-prioridades-do-sector-da-saude/
