Maputo — The Brazilian government has expressed its willingness to cooperate with Mozambican health authorities on production of medicines and health technologies.
According to Alexandre Padilha, Brazilian Health Minister, speaking to reporters on Monday, in Maputo, on the sidelines of the launch ceremony for Mozambique's first School of Public Health (ESP), Mozambique and Brazil may establish a strategic partnership for the production of medicines, vaccines, and health technologies.
"In addition to the commitment to continuously expand professional qualifications and training, we also want to discuss a strategic partnership for the production of medicines. The proposal aligns with the vision of strengthening public health systems through ongoing investment in workforce training, knowledge generation, research, and management capacity", he said.
According to Padilha, cooperation between the two countries has already yielded concrete results, as Brazil "supported the establishment of Mozambique's first antiretroviral drug production facility, which is now also dedicated to producing generic medicines."
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"Mozambique is well-positioned to play a strategic role in the regional production of health technologies, not only to meet domestic needs but also to contribute to other African countries. We believe Mozambique enjoys a highly favorable geographic location and possesses strong competitive potential to become a manufacturing hub for technologies and medicines, serving not just the Mozambican population, but the African continent as well," he said.
Regarding the inauguration of the country's first School of Public Health, Padilha said that "this school is a first step toward multinational training for Portuguese-speaking countries. We must create joint programs involving education and research institutions from Mozambique, Brazil, Portugal, and other Lusophone African nations."
Padilha highlighted that current public health challenges require professionals prepared to deal with climate change, demographic shifts, technological advancements, and inequalities in healthcare access.
"For us, innovation without access should not be called innovation. Innovation without access is injustice," he asserted.
For his part, Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said that the establishment of the school is a strategic investment to strengthen public health across the African continent, particularly in Portuguese-speaking countries.
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"Building strong institutions is essential for Africa to develop its own capacity to respond to health challenges and to prepare a new generation of public health specialists. History remembers those who built institutions. Institutions educate, institutions produce discoveries, and institutions protect lives", he said.
The infrastructure was selected by the Africa CDC as a Center of Excellence for training public health professionals in Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP), reinforcing the nation's role in regional scientific and health cooperation.
