Eni Foundation against cancer in Mozambique

Eni Foundation took part in the Community of Sant’Egidio’s Dream project to improve health outcomes for the local population, with particular focus on women living with HIV in Mozambique, and to widen access to cervical cancer screening and treatment. The project aimed to strengthen Mozambique’s health system - currently insufficient to meet citizens’ needs - by reducing maternal and child mortality and improving the quality of services. This goal was pursued through the construction of a multi-speciality outpatient clinic in Zimpeto (Province of Maputo).

Over the course of the 8-month project a multi-speciality clinic and a high-quality clinical analysis laboratory were completed and equipped in Zimpeto. Training was provided for the healthcare staff employed at the clinic, as well as for personnel from the Ministry of Health and from other facilities around the country and a health service for HIV/AIDS, TB and HPV was launched, with the promotion of screening campaigns.

The centre provides health services, especially for pregnant women with HIV, such as regular medical examinations, diagnostic monitoring, nutritional support, psychological support, and support for retention in care. Awareness campaigns for the prevention of cervical cancer have also been launched, and screening is promoted at the multi-speciality outpatient clinic to coincide with these campaigns.

These campaigns aimed to raise women's awareness of the importance of cervical cancer screening. Lack of information, lack of interest due to superstition or fear, illiteracy, and having little time to devote to oneself are some of the many reasons why hardly any women request prevention services.

The multi-speciality outpatient clinic in Zimpeto is a point of referral at the district and provincial level, offering free services for the prevention and diagnosis of communicable and non-communicable diseases, the treatment of HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer, as well as offering a programme for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of diseases and psychological support services to encourage retention in care. A healthcare network linking specialist services not provided by the Zimpeto centre - dentistry, radiography, surgery - ensures that existing services are not duplicated.