The United States Embassy in Mozambique has committed to providing the country with around 10.2 billion meticais ($160 million) to strengthen screening and treatment programs for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and tuberculosis. The announcement ends months of uncertainty regarding the continuation of US funding.
In a statement to Bloomberg, Nafeesah Allen, the embassy’s public affairs officer in Maputo, said that “the strategy focuses on multi-year bilateral agreements aimed at reducing dependence on foreign aid and strengthening Mozambique’s health systems.”
She added that this approach “means prioritizing programs that align with US interests while also addressing critical health challenges such as HIV and tuberculosis.”
The newly announced funding replaces part of the initiatives previously supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), whose recent suspension had caused concern among Mozambican authorities and international health partners.
The funds will be allocated under the so-called PEPFAR Bridge, a transitional instrument of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), set to run from October 2025 to March 2026. The measure is part of the America First Global Health Strategy, promoted by the US State Department, which prioritizes the procurement of goods from US companies for foreign aid programs.
The United States has historically been Mozambique’s largest bilateral donor, with annual contributions of around 35.8 billion meticais ($560 million).
According to the source, the new assistance package includes specific guidelines for the use of funds, such as guaranteeing full financing for frontline health workers and the purchase of medical supplies. However, certain services—such as male circumcision, abortion, and sexual health communication campaigns—will not be covered by this support.
Official data indicates that more than two million Mozambican adults live with HIV, one of the highest prevalence rates in Southern Africa. In the first half of this year, 48,000 cases of tuberculosis were recorded in the country, a situation authorities partly attribute to the lack of sustainable funding.
“Mozambique continues to face a heavy burden of this disease, often associated with HIV, which severely affects the most vulnerable populations,” said Ivan Manhiça, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health, on July 23.
On the same day, Benedita José, coordinator of the National Tuberculosis Control Program, estimated that the disease affects 361 people per 100,000 inhabitants, warning that “with the real estimates, we expect to find around 121,000 cases of tuberculosis per year.”
Source: Diário Económico
