Mozambican healthcare professionals, who have been on strike since January, announced today the continuation of their nationwide stoppage and demanded the immediate resignation of the Minister of Health. The striking workers once again held the government accountable for the severe mismanagement of hospitals and a critical lack of medicines across public medical facilities.
Speaking at a press conference in Maputo, Anselmo Muchave, the president of the Association of United and Solidary Healthcare Professionals of Mozambique (APSUSM), declared that due to the current stalemate and a total lack of progress in negotiations with the government, the decision was made to extend the national healthcare strike.
Muchave emphasized that the protest will continue until a binding agreement is signed, complete with clear deadlines, an allocated budget, and independent monitoring mechanisms.
Since January 16, APSUSM has been calling for 30-day work stoppages that are successively renewed. While the government continues to downplay the impact of the strike on public health centers, Muchave maintained that the mobilization remains resolute due to a persistent and severe shortage of essential medicines, medical gloves, intravenous fluids, anesthetics, and basic surgical materials required for daily operations.
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The association fiercely accused the executive branch of staging meaningless dialogues, claiming that meetings have been deliberately populated by government representatives who lack the technical knowledge, mandates, or decision-making power to resolve the crisis.
Furthermore, Muchave denounced precarious conditions in the country’s central medical warehouses, alleging severe hygiene issues, structural leaks, and pest infestations that actively compromise the safety of pharmaceutical stocks before they reach patients.
As a result of the ongoing deadlock, APSUSM announced a nationwide mobilization of healthcare workers and civil society to demand the immediate removal of Health Minister Ussene Isse. The association is also submitting formal complaints to the Ombudsman, the parliament, and international partners regarding violations of the right to health and the alleged mismanagement of public funds.
According to data presented by the organization, 2,673 preventable deaths have occurred in the country since January due to the combined impact of the healthcare crisis and resource shortages.
