A brief historical sketch

The Republic of Mozambique stretches along the Indian Ocean on the southeastern coast of Africa. Its official language is Portuguese, but a majority of the people in the country speak indigenous languages. With a per-capita income of $210 per year, it ranks with the 12 poorest countries in the world. A variety of health indicators show that it is faced with extremely serious problems. The under five infant mortality rate of 125/1000 is very high. Life expectancy is only 39 years. About 13 % of the adult population is HIV positive. These problems have a variety of root causes. The Portuguese colonial rule, which ended only in 1974, was unusually brutal and repressive. National independence was followed almost immediately by a long and devastating civil war that left, among other problems, about a million unexploded mines scattered throughout the country. The Aids epidemic has taken its toll, and a series of droughts and floods have added to the difficulties that this struggling country is experiencing.

When Vasco da Gama arrived in 1498, the Bantu peoples controlled the area, and were involved in a thriving trade with the Arabs. Over the next several centuries the Portuguese took control of the area. No effort was made by the Portuguese to develop the country. Rather, they systematically exploited all the resources of the country, including the cheap labor, for their own benefit. Things went from bad to worse under the harsh conditions imposed by the Fascist ruler Antonio Salazar from 1932 to 1968. Finally, in response to the massacre of about 600 people who were a part of a peaceful demonstration, the Mozambique Liberation Front, or Frelimo formed and, after about 10 years of struggle, overthrew the Portuguese rule in 1974. The Portuguese pulled out of the country, taking all the skilled professionals with them, and the infrastructure of the country collapsed.

The Frelimo was highly motivated to build a solid health system in the country, and to bring an adequate level of education to the people. However, Frelimo supported liberation movements in Rhodesia (present day Zimbabwe) and S. Africa, and paid a heavy price for this. Opposition to Frelimo’s efforts to build the country were organized and supported by S. Africa and Rhodesia who helped create the Mozambique National Resistance, or Renamo. Renamo worked to destroy all the positive efforts of Frelimo to bring a better life to its people. Renamo destroyed about 3000 schools. Health facilities and workers were targeted. They also kept destroying the hydroelectric lines that were crucial the Rhodesia’s economy. In 1994, after some negotiations between Renamo and Frelimo, a peace treaty was signed. A multi party system of government was established that guaranteed freedom of the press, the workers right to strike, and important due processes in the legal system. The Frelimo leader, Joaquin Chiassano, was selected as president in fair and peaceful elections in 1994. Since that time the country has been working to rebuild itself. Its efforts have been hampered