Project News

The Project for Strengthening Maternal and Child Nutrition Services (ProNUT) aiming to strengthen maternal and child nutrition services at the primary health level in Niassa and Gaza provinces, implemented by the Ministry of Health (MOH) with technical cooperation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), organized official handover ceremony of nutrition-related equipment and materials for the maternal and child nutrition services, held at Muembe Health Center, Muembe district, in Niassa province on 26 October 2022, and at Macia Health Center, Bilene district, in Gaza province on 2 November 2022.

In 2021, ProNUT conducted a needs assessment on equipment and materials for maternal and child nutrition services provided at primary health facilities in Majune, Muembe, and Sanga districts in Niassa, and Bilene, Chibuto, and Mandlakaze in Gaza. It revealed that the primary health facilities in those districts did not have enough functional equipment or materials required for maternal and nutrition services. Therefore, we came up with a list of equipment and materials to be donated in consultation with the provincial health offices and the MOH.

All the health equipment, printing instruments and office equipment agreed upon with the authorities, such as weight and height scales for adults, newborn and children, Hemoglobin analyzers, blood pressure machines (sphygmomanometers), MUAC tapes, utero measurement tapes, and several printed materials for nutrition services and APEs, projectors and screen, etc., have already been delivered to each district's warehouse. They are supposed to be distributed to and utilized at the primary health facilities in Manjune, Muembe, Sanga districts in Niassa, and Chibuto, Bilene, Mandlakaze districts in Gaza.

The ceremony was presided over by Representative of the JICA Office in Mozambique and by his Excellency the District Administrator of Muembe in Niassa, and the Permanent Secretary of the District Bilene Directorate in Gaza respectively, with over 30 participants from MoH, Provincial and District Health Directorate in each event. During the ceremony, counterparts said that the equipment will contribute to improving the efficiency and quality of service rendered to the population and the equipment will contribute to improving the motivation of health professionals. And for this purpose, they expressed their committment to utilize and maintain the equipment properly.

ProNUT is also planning to train health service providers on some equipment. Moreover, ProNUT will soon begin the pilot distribution of maternal and child health handbooks as a tool to enhance the continuum of care for maternal and child care, the communication between mothers and service providers, and caregivers' self-learning. We believe all these efforts will improve healthcare quality and ultimately improve the health status of mothers and children in the districts.

Equipment handover to the Director of health directorate in Muembe district, Niassa province by JICA representative

Equipment handover to the Permanent Secretary of the District Bilene Directorate in Gaza province by JICA representative

Signing ceremony by the Director of health directorate in Bilene district, Gaza province and JICA representative

Donated equipment and materials for maternal and child nutrition services

Handover ceremony

Group photo of participants in Niassa province

Group photo of participants in Gaza province