Mozambique

Mozambique is located on the southeast coast of Africa, between South Africa and Tanzania. The country was under Portuguese rule for nearly five centuries before winning independence in 1975. A brutal civil war broke out that same year and lasted until 1992; 1 million people died and 5 million were displaced as a result of the fighting.

The population is 19.6 million, growing at an annual rate of 1.38 percent. The birth rate is 35.18 per 1,000 and the death rate 21.35 per 1,000. Mozambique remains primarily rural, with 37 percent of the population living in urban areas. Urbanization is growing at a rate of 6.6 percent annually, spurred mostly by the return of war refugees.

Most Mozambicans live in poverty. Per capita income in around $250 a year, with 38 percent of the population living on less than $1 a day and 69 percent living below the national poverty line.

The economy had been showing signs of rebounding when the country was devastated by flooding in February 2000. Days of heavy rain were followed by a powerful cyclone: 1 million people were affected by the flooding, at least 700 died, and a half-million were left homeless.

By 2005, flooding had given way to drought. Humanitarian workers estimated that 800,000 would need supplemental food aid through at least 2006.

Life expectancy at birth is 39.53 years for males and 40.13 years for females, with healthy life expectancy averaging 36 years for men and 37 years for women. [Page 1144]Infant mortality is 129 deaths per 1,000 births; 159 of 1,000 children die between their first and fifth birthday. Maternal mortality is 1,000 deaths per 100,000 live births. Only 48 percent have a trained attendant present during childbirth.

Sanitation is limited, with 24 percent of the rural population having access to clean water and 14 percent using sanitary facilities. Diarrhea is common, as is hepatitis. Malaria is responsible for 15 to 30 percent of the deaths of children under 5.

AIDS is a major problem for Mozambique, with a prevalence rate of 12.2 percent. Conservative estimates put the total number of infection at 1.3 million in 2003. In 2005, 16,200 patients were receiving antiretroviral medications out of an estimated 199,000 who needed it. Understanding of the transmission of the virus remains low: in one survey, 20 percent of females and 33 percent of males aged 15–24 had correct knowledge of HIV prevention techniques.

Access to medical care in Mozambique is uneven at best. There are 43 hospitals and 1,141 health posts scattered around the country. An estimated 72 percent of people living in rural areas have no nearby care; 53 percent are more than 1 1/2-hours drive from the nearest hospital. Traditional healers are the only option for 60 percent of the people. Half of the country's 712 doctors work in the city of Maputo. Medical professionals have few opportunities for advanced training. International donors provided close to 70 percent of the country's total health expenditures in 2000.