Mozambique Minister of Health Visits Nhamatanda PEN-Plus Clinic

On 2 June, Mozambique Minister of Health H.E. Dr. Armindo Daniel Tiago visited the PEN-Plus clinic at Nhamatanda Rural Hospital.

Dr. Ana Mocumbi, co-chair of the NCDI Poverty Network, gave welcoming remarks before leading the Ministry of Health delegation on a tour of the clinic. The tour enabled the visitors to see firsthand the clinic’s patient-centric design and its infrastructure, including its well-equipped consultation rooms and diagnostic facilities.

Following the tour, Dr. Mocumbi presented an in-depth overview of the current state of the PEN-Plus program. She discussed the program’s core components and emphasized its potential both to bridge the healthcare integration gap in underserved areas and to improve healthcare outcomes by bringing care for severe NCDs to first-level rural hospitals for the first time.

The minister highlighted the transformative potential of the PEN-Plus clinic and its positive impact on Nhamatanda and the surrounding regions.

“The minister’s visit underscored the government’s commitment to improving healthcare accessibility and quality,” said Dr. Mocumbi. “It also reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in bringing care to people living with severe NCDs in settings of extreme poverty.”

Written by Ivanilson Abilio, the membership and engagement manager for the NCDI Poverty Network Co-Secretariat in Maputo, Mozambique

H.E. Dr. Armindo Tiago and Dr. Cizàlia F. Ribeiro, Nhamatanda district health director, enter the PEN-Plus clinic.

H.E. Dr. Armindo Tiago and Dr. Cizàlia F. Ribeiro are received by Dr. Ana Mocumbi and João Manuel, principal investigator for the Mozambique PEN-Plus program.

Dr. Mocumbi leads a presentation to detail the progress of the program in Mozambique and highlight partners involved.

H.E. Dr. Armindo Tiago receives a detailed explanation of the flow of patients inside the clinic from Mr. Lindolfo Baptista, a health provider on staff.

The Minister of Health congratulates the team and provides words of encouragement to the clinic's health workers at the conclusion of the visit.