From Machava 1, which has been operating for over a year, to Manga Chingussura, inaugurated last February, the new health structures created through the PROTECT project are transforming the lives of many families. At both sites, women now find adequate spaces and better reception, while healthcare workers are able to provide more attentive and respectful care.

In Manga Chingussura, a new building was constructed in front of the existing center. It houses rooms for prenatal and at-risk child visits, offices for the center’s staff and the DREAM Program, a meeting room, and a fully operational pharmaceutical storeroom. The new block is therefore fully functional and has made services more organized, integrated, and responsive to patients’ needs.

In Machava 1, in Maputo Province, a new area dedicated to maternal and child health has been set up. Here, women find adequate spaces for medical visits and pregnancy follow-up, in a clean and welcoming environment that strengthens trust in the health system.

“This new clinic means a lot to me. I like the welcome, the way the nurses receive me. Before, the space was small; now I feel comfortable and happy to come here,” says Carlota, a young mother from Manga Chingussura. Fátima, another patient, confirms: “What makes the difference is the organization. It’s a clean, orderly place, where you can feel that things work. It’s nice to come here, and this encourages us not to abandon treatment.”

For healthcare workers, the new facilities also mean being able to work better: “Working in adequate spaces allows us to guarantee more privacy and higher-quality care. This strengthens the relationship of trust with women, who feel welcomed and respected,” explains Nilda, a maternal health nurse.

The two new facilities are part of the PROTECT project, which supports Mozambique in its path toward reducing neonatal mortality and the transmission of HIV in children.

In a country where 12.6% of child deaths are linked to HIV and most deaths under the age of five are due to late access or poor-quality care, the initiative aims to strengthen the healthcare network along three main lines: improved spaces and infrastructure for maternal and child health (such as in Manga Chingussura and Machava 1); more efficient neonatal intensive care and pediatric emergency services, especially in Beira and Maputo; and training and awareness-raising activities for both healthcare workers and communities, with particular attention to HIV-positive women.

The project, supported by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and carried out by the DREAM Program together with CUAMM and AUCI, will run until 2025. Its main goal is to ensure that mothers and children receive quality care, without barriers and without discrimination.

The new facilities in Manga Chingussura and Machava 1 have already welcomed hundreds of women, offering them a more serene and dignified environment—one that encourages them to continue treatment and to feel part of a shared path toward health.