Minister of State Michael Kitt participates in opening of Irish Aid funded hospital in Mozambique

The Minister of State for Overseas Development, Michael Kitt TD, today participated in the opening of a new hospital in the Massinga district of Mozambique. The 60 bed hospital, which will serve a population of over 500,000, has been upgraded from a health centre with €1 million in support from Irish Aid.

The Massinga district suffers from high infant mortality rates due to communicable diseases, such as malaria, acute respiratory infections and diarrhoea-related diseases. The new facilities will provide services to treat these diseases. They include a secure water supply, emergency services, operating theatres and a new surgery ward. It is hoped that high maternal mortality rates in the district will also be reduced through the provision of full emergency obstetric care services. Speaking at the opening, Minister of State Kitt said:

"Irish Aid is proud to support this new hospital. The facility will greatly improve access to quality health services for over half a million Mozambicans. Through projects like this, Irish Aid will continue to support Mozambique in the delivery of accessible health services to all Mozambicans, particularly the most marginalised. Over the next four years, we will provide €71.5 million to assist the health sector."

Note to editors:

Mozambique is one of Irish Aid’s nine programme countries. It is one of the least developed countries in the world (168th out of 177 countries on the UN’s Human Development Index) and has been severely impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Over the next four years Irish Aid will provide €208 million to support development in Mozambique. Over a third of this funding will support developments in the health sector.

Massinga is a rural district of Mozambique’s Inhambane Province. It is located some 130 km from the provincial capital. Subsistence farming is the main economic activity but Massinga district is also the main source of labour for the mining industry of South Africa. With €1 million in support provided by Irish Aid, the capacity of the hospital will be increased to a total of 60 beds and it will provide complete and comprehensive health referral services to Massinga and surrounding districts.

Minister of State Kitt is on a three day visit to Mozambique. On Monday, he was joined by the Mozambican Minister for Economic Planning and Development in launching a new four year strategy for Irish Aid’s support for Mozambique. He visited an Irish Aid supported HIV and AIDS care centre and met with workers at a Cashew factory that has received support from Irish Aid.

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Press Office

26 September 2007