Mozambican President Daniel Chapo announced on 18 December the launch of plans for the Maputo Surgical Centre, set to become one of the largest surgical facilities in Africa, with construction slated to begin in April 2026 and financed by the Chinese Government.
During his first State of the Nation Address to the Assembly of the Republic, Chapo also unveiled plans for an Oncology Institute and a Maternal and Child Hospital, funded through a US$220 million (€187.6 million) strategic partnership with Brazil, following President Lula da Silva’s recent visit.
“These infrastructures will drastically reduce the need for medical evacuations abroad and allow complex cases to be treated in our country,” Chapo stated, highlighting the government’s commitment to developing reference hospitals and specialised units in Mozambique.
The President confirmed efforts to settle the overtime debt owed to health workers, totaling 810.6 million meticais (€10.8 million) from 2023 to mid-2025, and announced new regulations governing organ, tissue, and cell donation and transplantation, aimed at improving life expectancy.
Mozambique’s health sector, long affected by strikes from the Association of United and Supportive Health Professionals of Mozambique (APSUSM) and the Medical Association of Mozambique (AMM), currently operates 1,778 health units, including 107 health posts, 3 specialized hospitals, 4 central hospitals, 7 general hospitals, 7 provincial hospitals, 22 rural hospitals, and 47 district hospitals.
Chapo described the past year as a period of “profound effort to build, strengthen and dignify the social sectors” of the country, stressing that sustainable economic progress depends on tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.