At the Beira Health Sciences Institute, in Sofala Province, Mozambique, we inaugurated this week a new training and simulation center for maternal and child healthcare. This is not just a classroom, but a cutting-edge hub—a model of training designed to offer students, faculty, and healthcare staff a new experience in learning and continuous professional development.
Among the attendees at the ceremony were the Italian Ambassador to Mozambique, Gabriele Annis, Secretary of State Manuel Rodrigues Alberto, and Sérgio António Rodrigues Chicumbe, National Director of the Health Professional Training Program at the Ministry of Health.
“The health sector has always been a priority for Italian cooperation: it is a tradition we are proud of, guiding our commitment to ensure quality healthcare for all. For Italy and the Mattei Plan, maternal and child health is the top priority. I thank the Secretary of State, the National Health Directorate, the Beira Health Sciences Institute, the University of Sassari, CUAMM, and all those who contributed to this achievement. The true value of this classroom will be realized when it is actively used to train and inspire new generations of health professionals,” said Gabriele Annis, Italian Ambassador to Mozambique.
The newly inaugurated center, the second of its kind in the country, will now serve Sofala Province and represents the first national laboratory dedicated exclusively to maternal and neonatal health technicians. It provides a space where students in the professional neonatal nursing course can practice clinical cases they will encounter in daily work. The equipment supplied includes mannequins, cribs, incubators, scales, neonatal resuscitation devices, and much more.
The course is a one-year training program offered by CUAMM and recognized by the National Directorate for Health Personnel Training, now in its second edition. Last year, 20 professionals participated: 15 nurses from Beira Central Hospital (usually working in neonatal intensive care or delivery wards), 3 nurses from Beira General Hospital, and 2 nurses from Nhamatanda Rural Hospital.
The inauguration of this new space is part of a project funded by Italian Cooperation and implemented by CUAMM in partnership with the Community of Sant’Egidio and Aispo, under the guidance of the University of Sassari and in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Mozambique. The project aims to support healthcare worker training, enhance the clinical and managerial skills of health authorities, and strengthen the health system, including through innovative tools such as telemedicine.
Thanks to the technology available in the center, participants will have access to a wide digital library and the ability to communicate with experts worldwide on maternal and child health. This facilitates the sharing of knowledge and best practices and helps create and strengthen lasting partnerships.
“This space is pioneering. We are delivering a beacon of hope, a pillar for maternal and child health in the country,” said Secretary of State Manuel Rodrigues Alberto.
