Mozambique

Mozambique is a Southern African country on the Indian Ocean coast, bordered by Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Eswatini. Its population of approximately 34 million (2024 estimate) makes it one of the larger countries in the southern African region. Maputo is the capital. Mozambique gained independence from Portugal in 1975 after a prolonged liberation war and subsequently suffered a severe civil conflict until 1992. Natural disasters have been a recurring crisis: Cyclone Idai in 2019 and Cyclone Kenneth the same year caused catastrophic flooding. The country has significant offshore natural gas reserves whose development has been disrupted by an Islamist insurgency in Cabo Delgado province in the north. Mozambique ranks among the countries with the highest HIV prevalence globally.

Mozambique carries a dual burden that makes AMR surveillance particularly urgent: one of sub-Saharan Africa's highest HIV prevalence rates and a history of major cholera outbreaks, most recently amplified by Cyclone Idai's flooding in 2019. Both conditions generate substantial antibiotic pressure with limited capacity to monitor resistance patterns. Mozambique is one of eight AU member states selected for ARILAC (Advancing Regional Integrated Laboratory Capacity for AMR Control), launched in Addis Ababa on 6 May 2026 . The four-year programme will work to establish routine AMR testing infrastructure across human and animal health, addressing one of the most significant blind spots in Mozambique's public health system.