Niassa, Mozambique, July 1, 2025 (Lusa) - At least six of the nine health centres in the Nipepe district in Niassa, northern Mozambique, still require drinking-water systems, said the director of the District Health, Women and Social Action Service.

“It is a reality that the district is experiencing, we have six health centres that, at this moment, are awaiting their water systems. We are aware of this and have plans to drill water wells,” said Mónica Tómas in Nipepe, and the media quoted her today.

According to the director, six of the nine health units in that district still require access to drinking water, and the digital platform of civil society organisations dealing with human rights has drawn attention to the matter.

“We found that some health centres still require water supplies, yet a health centre is a place that must always be hygienic, mothers in labour need hygiene, and the report shows that some mothers must bring water from home,” said Malton Uailo, coordinator of the platform.

According to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), by 2023, the district of Nipepe, covering approximately 5,031 square kilometres, had a total population of 56,920.

Approximately 46% of households in Nipepe rely on water from rivers, lakes, and lagoons, while 38% fetch water from wells that require manual extraction, according to another INE report.

Mozambique has a total of 1,778 health facilities, 107 of which are health posts, three are specialised hospitals, four are central hospitals, seven are general hospitals, seven are provincial hospitals, 22 are rural hospitals, and 47 are district hospitals, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Health.

VIYS/ADB // ADB.

Lusa