December 18, 2019 – Nampula City. The U.S. Government officially launched yesterday the Transform Nutrition and Advancing Nutrition projects. The U.S. Government was represented at the event by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Health Office Director Monique Mosolf, while Nampula Governor Victor Manuel Borges represented the Government of the Republic of Mozambique. These two projects will reduce rates of childhood stunting and improve the nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and children less than two years of age. Implemented in twelve districts across Nampula Province over the next five years, the initiatives will receive a total of $24 million in U.S. Government funding. Nearly 550,000 Mozambicans will benefit from these programs. These nutrition projects represent a critical component of the U.S. Mission’s assistance program in Mozambique. In close collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Mozambique, the U.S. Government provides more than $500 million in annual assistance to improve the quality of education and healthcare, promote economic prosperity, and support the overall development of the nation.

Poor nutrition early in life can have long-lasting negative effects on a person’s health, education, and economic contributions to their community. While Mozambique has made some progress in terms of overall nutrition status in the country, the most recent health survey shows that Nampula Province has a 55% stunting rate for children under 5, a rate 12% higher than the national average. Additionally, 51% of adolescent girls in the province are anemic. The causes of malnutrition statistics like this are complex and include diets too low in calories, micronutrients and protein; gender inequity in access to nutritious foods; misconceptions about nutritious diets and poor hygiene and sanitation.

To address these challenges, U.S. Government will partner with the Government of the Republic of Mozambique at the central, provincial, and district levels to improve coordination of nutrition activities and training of health care providers to screen for and treat malnutrition issues. We will also support community level interventions that improve nutrition and increase access to more nutritious foods, better sanitation conditions, and hygiene products for families and individuals.

At the launch event, USAID Health Office Director Monique Mosolf said “By attacking the problem of malnutrition from every angle – individual knowledge, community and market resources, and government capacity at every level – these projects not only help Mozambicans in Nampula, but will also provide the Government of Mozambique with a model for improving health that can be used throughout the country.”

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) leads the U.S. Government’s international development and disaster assistance through partnerships and investments that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises.  For more information about USAIDs work to foster sustainable development and advance human dignity visit www.usaid.gov.  

For more information about this press release, please contact the U.S. Embassy Maputo Press Office at MaputoPress@state.gov.