MOZAMBIQUE

Prevalence of HIV infection in the East Africa nation of Mozambique is
estimated to be 12.5 percent among people aged 15-49 and varies across different provinces. More than 1.5 million Mozambicans were living with HIV at the end of 2007.

Poverty, limited health infrastructure, and increased mobility are the primary drivers of Mozambique’s high HIV prevalence rate. A civil war restricted movement within and outside the country for many years, but after the 1992 Peace Accord, refugees returned from neighboring countries with far higher HIV prevalence than Mozambique. Currently, regional economic developments and employment opportunities are expanding, resulting in more migration, more disposable income, a disintegrating family structure, and an increase in the commercial sex industry, thus compounding infection rates.

With support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the US government team in country, the HIV/AIDS Twinning Center currently manages three partnerships in Mozambique.

In 2008, the HIV/AIDS Twinning Center established a country office to provide programmatic and logistical support to partners. Staff also work closely with local government agencies and the US Government team to identify and facilitate needs-driven partnerships.

(source: PEPFAR Country Profile, May 2009)

Updated June 5, 2009