Between progress in placing specialists and setbacks in purchasing equipment

The year 2025 exposed a paradox in the health sector in Mozambique. While the Government celebrated the full achievement of the goal of placing 92 specialist doctors in critical areas, the Balance Sheet of the Economic and Social Plan and State Budget (PESOE) reveals a scenario of stagnation in equally strategic areas: the acquisition of equipment for 100 health units and the training of 720 professionals were completely paralyzed due to lack of funds.

The health sector will once again face serious constraints in 2025. According to a document released last month by Carta de Moçambique, the government failed to meet targets considered fundamental to strengthening the National Health System (SNS), particularly regarding the allocation of medical equipment, hospital furniture, and professional training.

The goal was to provide 100 healthcare facilities across the country with new equipment and furniture. However, no facility received any reinforcement throughout the year. The PESOE report itself acknowledges that the failure resulted from a lack of financial resources, leaving hospitals and health centers operating with limited resources in a context already marked by structural challenges.

The situation is repeated in the field of professional training. The training of 720 healthcare professionals, including doctors, specialized technicians, and hospital managers, was planned. However, no training has yet begun. Once again, the lack of funds is cited as the main obstacle, compromising the strengthening of skills in a sector that demands continuous updating.

While the overall scenario is one of decline, there is one piece of data that contrasts with this panorama of failures: The Government managed to place 92 specialist doctors on the market, fully meeting this goal. The specialties cover critical areas such as Gynecology and Obstetrics, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Public Health, Orthopedics and Traumatology, among others, considered priorities to meet the needs of the population.

According to the report, this positive result was due to the clear definition of strategic specializations in the National Human Resources Development Plan 2016-2025, as well as improvements in institutional coordination, management of training processes, distribution of vacancies, placement of qualified trainers, and curricular adaptation to national requirements.

In the area of ​​infrastructure, however, the scenario is once again worrying. The completion and equipping of seven district hospitals planned for 2025 have not been carried out, mainly due to insufficient budget. The requalification of 100 health centers has also stalled. Although the list of equipment and technical specifications has been drawn up, the launch of the public tender remains dependent on financial availability.

Among these advances and setbacks, the sector also highlights another specific success: the acquisition of 29 X-ray machines, achieving 100% of the established goal. The equipment was distributed throughout all provinces of the country, including Maputo Central Hospital, Mavalane General Hospital, José Macamo General Hospital, and Chamanculo General Hospital.

The 2025 picture thus reveals a sector marked by missed targets and sporadic achievements. Budgetary constraints continue to be one of the main obstacles to the modernization and structural strengthening of the Mozambican health system, at a time when the population demands more effective responses and higher quality services.