EVERY LAST CHILD

May 8, ’13 10:38 AM
Every last child

Global leaders make pledges of US$ 4 billion towards polio eradication
WHO/T.Moran

This text have been prepared by  Monica Zaccarelli Davoli, Emanuele Capobianco and Onei Uetela, UNICEF Mozambique Health and Nutrition

Every last child is the slogan of a campaign that aims at eradicating POLIO. There are several aspects of this campaign that are interesting…

  1. We are actually very close to eradicate the polio virus worldwide.  Last year only 223 cases of the disease were registered. In 1988 when the Global eradication initiative started 1.000 children were paralyzed everyday by polio.
  2. It is a very concrete example of health as a public good! As the virus attacks communities that are not protected, the immunization of each individual is in everyone’s interest.
  3. It brings together UN Technical Agencies (WHO and UNICEF) and key donors (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Rotary to the benefit of children and populations all over the world.
Continue Reading… Comments (0)

ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE IN MOZAMBIQUE

Apr 23, ’13 10:47 AM

This video illustrates some of the main challenges of access to health care in Mozambique

Health professionals from the Tete province talk about the barriers poor Mozambicans have to overcome to finally reach a health facility. The video also looks at the health system and illustrates some of the everyday limitations of it.
The video is produced by Action for Global Health, a network of European NGOs that is present in the country.

Comments (0)

SMS FOR LIFE

Apr 3, ’13 10:24 AM
SMS FOR LIVE

From left to right are Teodato Hunguana, Chair of the Board (Mcel), Dr. Mouzinho Saíde (MISAU) and Dr. Emanuele Capobianco (UNICEF)

This newsflash was prepared by Emídio Machiana who is happy to give you more details and information in case of need.

UNICEF signed today a partnership agreement with the major national mobile telecommunications provider Mcel and the Ministry of Health (MISAU), which would see all Mcel mobile telephone subscribers receive Facts for Life text messages once a month.

Continue Reading… Comments (0)

LESSONS WE NEVER LEARN

Mar 28, ’13 2:49 PM
Temporary Accommodation Center, Cheaquelane

Picture by Maaike Arts, Temporary Accommodation Center, Cheaquelane/Gaza, Feb 2013.

This post has been written by Monica Zaccarelli Davoli, UNICEF Mozambique Health Specialist.

The rainy season is not over yet but we take the opportunity to reflect a bit on the response to the floods that hit Mozambique this year…

Continue Reading… Comments (0)

GAZA EMERGENCY: A SNAPSHOT FROM THE FIELD

Mar 1, ’13 2:01 PM
25.02.13, Chiaquelane Camp, UNICEF colleague Dr. Frederico Brito with children living in the camp

25.02.13, Chiaquelane Camp, UNICEF colleague Dr. Frederico Brito with children living in the camp

This post has been written by Kristine Dandanell Garn, UNICEF Mozambique Nutrition Specialist

I returned Tuesday late afternoon after an intense week of work in the areas affected by the recent flooding in Gaza province. They were days full of impressions, meetings, report writing and not much sleep. Here are some of my thoughts, still fresh from the field.

Continue Reading… Comments (6)

WHAT DOES A KAPULANA HAVE TO DO WITH THE ACA?

Feb 12, ’13 12:10 PM

blog-saude-e-vida-12-feb-2013

This post has been written by Monica Zaccarelli Davoli, Health Policy Specialist in UNICEF Mozambique

I am just back after a week visiting local authorities and health facilities in the province of Tete. I was accompanied by ten other colleagues from the Ministry of Health, the Provincial Health Directorate and Irish, Swiss and Danish development agencies. All together, we were one of the teams that participated in the field visits as part of the ACA XII.

ACA stands for Annual Joint Evaluation (Avaliação Conjunta Anual) and it looks at what the partnership between the Government of Mozambique and its international partners has achieved towards improving the health status of Mozambican people.

Continue Reading… Comments (1)

THE GIRL EFFECT

Feb 1, ’13 12:04 PM

The most viewed post on Saude e Vida so far has been a fascinating video on cholera. Yesterday I found this other video which is just as brilliant. It talks about a better future for girls in poor countries. A future without aids, without early marriage, without unwanted pregnancies. A future of education, good health, freedom and happiness. Have a look at the video and be inspired: let us build a more just world, one girl at a time!

Comments (0)

SHOULD DOCTORS GO ON STRIKE?

Jan 9, ’13 11:29 AM
© UNICEF Mozambique

© UNICEF Mozambique

In the Mozambican media, one serious topic dominates the news this week: on Monday, January 6, the Mozambican Medical Association called for a strike of doctors in the entire country. Doctors have been demanding higher salaries, and better housing conditions for quite some time. In response to doctors’ requests last December, the Government had proposed some improvements that appear not to be enough for the doctors. So, there’s an ongoing strike and Mozambican patients in hospitals and health centres around the country are being affected in various degrees.

In this post I will not dwell into the impact of the strike or into the content of the negotiations between the Ministry of the Health of Mozambique and the Medical Association. I just want to raise a more general question applicable to health workers around the world. The question is: should doctors go on strike? There is no black and white answer to this question, but this is what I think.

Continue Reading… Comments (0)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS: WE’LL BE BACK IN 2013!

Dec 12, ’12 4:02 PM
The saude e vida blog team

The Saude e Vida Team: Emanuele, Mônica and Cláudio

It is the end of a long year for the Team behind Saúde e Vida. Throughout 2012 we have shared with you stories, pictures and videos, trying to bring you different perspectives on the health sector in Mozambique. We celebrated the historical drop of child mortality in the country; we smiled at the beauty of children suffering from albinism; and we learned how Oscar winner directors can help to fight cholera.

We hope you found this blog interesting and useful and we would like to particularly thank those who contributed with articles and comments in 2012. Please continue visiting us and commenting on our posts; and help us to make Saúde e Vida a more engaging and useful blog in and outside Mozambique.

Finally, we would like to wish you all a great festive season and a wonderful start of the new year. We will be back in January 2013 with new stories, more saúde and more vida!

Comments (0)

“ALONE IT IS HARD, TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT…” MEN CALLED TO ACTION ON THE WORLD AIDS DAY

Dec 7, ’12 10:17 AM

This post has been written by Luisa Brumana, Senior HIV Specialist in UNICEF Mozambique

Last Saturday, December 1st, I attended the central ceremony for commemoration of World AIDS Day, which this year in Mozambique concentrated on the theme: “É possível acabar com a transmissão do HIV de Mãe para o Filho”- or in English, “It is possible to stop transmission of HIV from mother to child”.     

When the National AIDS Council (CNCS), through its Communication Group, asked for support in identifying women who had gone through the Preventing Mother-to-Child transmission (PMTCT) programme and who could come and provide their testimony about their experience, I immediately thought about the mothers of the association Kuplumussana. In the Sena language, Kuplumussana means “Save One Another”.

Continue Reading… Comments (1)