Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world, with half of its population living below the absolute poverty line. The rural populations are the most vulnerable, relying on low-productivity subsistence agriculture and facing difficulties in accessing primary health services. These difficulties are attributed to factors such as geographical extension, resulting in distance from Health Centres, scarce economic resources, and a quantitative and qualitative shortage of local health personnel. Among the social health problems most affecting these areas are malnutrition, primarily affecting children and women; HIV infection, which remains one of the main causes of death due to challenges in accessing diagnosis and adhering to antiretroviral treatment; tuberculosis, especially prevalent in the child population, and TB/HIV co-infection.

Another critical health issue affecting the population is the infant and neonatal mortality rate, which ranks among the highest in the world. Respiratory infections, malaria, prematurity, and perinatal problems account for more than 50% of these deaths. The situation is exacerbated by a shortage of drinking water, with over 52% of the population lacking access to safe water sources, relying on brackish and/or rainwater sources.

Medicus Mundi Italy operates in Mozambique with projects aimed at strengthening the local health system, ensuring basic health services for the most vulnerable communities, and extending services to the remote rural areas, far from health centres, through Brigadas Móveis (mobile health teams) and the organization of training and awareness-raising activities to support national programs.

• Brigada Móveis (mobile health teams) reach the rural areas farthest from health centres, providing basic health services such as maternal and child health visits, child growth and malnutrition screening, TB and HIV prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, with a specific focus on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PTV) and TB/HIV co-infection (TARV Móvel services), support for vaccination campaigns, drug distribution, and cooking demonstrations to raise community awareness on proper nutrition for children.

• Organizing community awareness sessions (palestras) to promote health and hygiene.

• Implementing activities to support Health Centres in improving patient adherence to HIV and TB treatment, including reintegration of patients with adherence or drop-out problems.

• Training of community HIV activists to foster linkages between the community, mobile health teams, and health centres and strengthen adherence of HIV-positive patients to treatment.

• Implementing transversal activities of training and supervision of health workers and community activists.

• Providing pulmonary ventilation devices for both paediatric and adult use, through local production of low-tech devices using 3D printing.

• Implementing interventions to improve water supply in health centres and rural communities, through the construction or rehabilitation of water supply systems and the creation and training of management committees to ensure the smooth functioning and sustainability of sanitation initiatives.

• Training students from the health faculties of the Mozambique State University UNISAVE, in collaboration with the University of Brescia, to foster the link between the community, university, and health services (Community Health)."