The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Embassy of Ireland in Mozambique signed an agreement in Maputo worth six million euros to strengthen sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as family planning, in the provinces of Niassa, Nampula, Sofala, and Inhambane.
Through this agreement, the project Access and Choice – Family Planning for Health, Rights, and Development will be implemented, enhancing access to essential sexual and reproductive health services for women, adolescents, and young people across the country.
The contribution is part of Ireland’s global support for the UNFPA Global Partnership, aimed at providing family planning products in countries with the greatest need.
Mozambique has made notable progress in expanding access to family planning services in recent years. The use of modern contraceptive methods increased from 11% in 2011 to 25% in 2022/23, contributing to a significant reduction in maternal mortality (from 408 to 233 per 100,000 live births) and infant mortality (from 101 to 39 per 1,000 live births). These gains result from the strong commitment of the Ministry of Health and its partners.
Given the current challenging context for investment in the health sector with both domestic and external financial resources, the Access and Choice project aims to directly address specific challenges related to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, focusing on the provision of at least five modern family planning methods and their distribution in health facilities and communities.
The implementation of this project, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, the Central Medical Stores, and Provincial and District Health Services and Directorates, will carry out contraceptive procurement actions, covering 34% of the national needs for 2026.
Support will also be provided for the distribution of contraceptives and other medicines to the most remote areas, ensuring they reach health facilities and communities in the four target provinces, while strengthening national logistics information systems through training, improving data quality, and using digital tools to monitor the supply chain in real time.
The main objective is to ensure that women, men, couples, adolescents, and young people have access to information and family planning methods (injectables, pills, implants, intrauterine devices, and condoms) they need to make informed choices and decisions about their future.
Source: O País
