CDC in Mozambique

HIV is a leading cause of death and a health threat to millions worldwide. As a key implementer of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), CDC works with Mozambique’s Ministry of Health (MOH) to build a sustainable, high impact national HIV response program to accelerate progress towards the UNAIDS global targets to control the HIV epidemic.

CDC provides support for scaling up evidence-based interventions, such as HIV treatment for adults and children, HIV counseling and testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, voluntary medical male circumcision, and HIV prevention programs focused on key populations. CDC supports the delivery of antiretroviral therapy (ART) as part of the national program, and is helping to rapidly scale up viral load and drug resistance assessments to leverage the country’s capacity. CDC also supports the provision of HIV counseling and testing, and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services in more than 800 health facilities, as well as voluntary medical male circumcisions in over 50 fixed and mobile sites to further increase control of the HIV epidemic.

Mozambique is severely impacted by tuberculosis (TB). TB is emerging as the leading cause of death among people living with HIV. CDC has provided technical assistance to the National TB Program in Mozambique for nearly 10 years, focusing on early diagnosis, the integration of TB/HIV services, and the diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant TB. CDC partners are also working with key populations—such as miners, prisoners, and health care workers—to improve detection of TB and HIV.

CDC works with the MOH to deliver high quality HIV prevention and treatment services. These interventions include: strengthening laboratory, surveillance, infrastructure, and workforce capacity; and developing operational research in all 11 provinces with intensified efforts where HIV rates are highest. CDC is supporting the MOH to improve the availability, accessibility, quality, and use of service-delivery data. CDC is conducting HIV surveillance and behavioral surveys, designing and improving systems to support routine program monitoring, and strengthening and expanding the health management information systems infrastructure.

CDC supports Mozambique in strengthening the capacity of its workforce to investigate and respond to disease outbreaks through the establishment of a Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP). FELTP is a post-graduate in-service training program, based on the acquisition of skills, within two tracks: applied epidemiology and laboratory management. Participants focus on “learning by doing” to develop the skills for gathering critical data and turning it into evidence-based action. FELTP fellows in Mozambique work with the MOH on surveillance, monitoring and evaluation of HIV, TB, and malaria, and investigations for outbreaks of measles, vaccine-derived polio, rabies, malaria, cholera, typhoid, shigella, and pesticide poisoning as part of their training.

Malaria is a leading cause of death and disease in many countries, and young children and pregnant women are most affected. Under the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), a CDC resident advisor is assigned to the malaria-endemic country of Mozambique to support the implementation of malaria prevention and control interventions. These interventions include providing long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying, preventing malaria in pregnancy, and improving diagnostics and case management.

CDC´s technical assistance has resulted in the development of strong national policies, including a national malaria control strategy, an integrated vector management strategy, and a national malaria communication and advocacy strategy. In Mozambique, PMI currently supports evaluations on the cost effectiveness of various vector control strategies and the durability of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets to help guide national policy on the distribution and replacement of these important interventions. The program is also training laboratory technicians to improve laboratory diagnostic capacities for determining malaria infection through both microscopy and rapid diagnostic testing.

Influenza viruses require continued vigilance to protect the United States and the world from seasonal influenza as well as novel strains that could trigger a pandemic. CDC works with Mozambique to help build surveillance and laboratory capacity to detect and respond to influenza. Mozambique participates in the World Health Organization (WHO) External Quality Assessment Project (EQAP) for influenza laboratories. By monitoring quality and standards of performance, the EQAP plays a key role in strengthening diagnostic capacity and preparedness to effectively respond to influenza outbreaks worldwide.