Maputo (ICRC) – The rehabilitation of Ibo health centre was completed this year and the facility started providing healthcare with surgical capabilities to 41,000 people on Ibo Islands and the coastal areas of Cabo Delgado.
Refurbished by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in support of the Ministry of Health, the advanced care health centre (Type II) has in-patient rooms and an operating theatre, an upgrade and expansion of the reference health centre damaged by Cyclone Kenneth in 2019.
"The combined impact of the armed conflict and extreme weather on the most vulnerable has been devastating," said Valentina Torricelli, head of ICRC Mozambique's Pemba sub-delegation.
Bringing healthcare closer to affected communities ensures life-saving care reaches those most in need, especially pregnant women, those with conflict-related injuries and also helps reduce the spread of communicable diseases, such as cholera.
In the past years, the effects of armed violence and climate change have severely undermined the provision of essential services, including water and healthcare, in coastal areas of Cabo Delgado. At the same time, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people created additional pressure on already fragile public infrastructure.
The ICRC today handed over to the health authorities the second phase of the health centre upgrade, consisting of a maternity ward with nine beds, an operating theatre, in-patient rooms with expanded capacity, sterilization, and other services. An earlier phase of the project was completed in 2022.
After the inauguration, the health centre will continue to be administered by the health authorities of Cabo Delgado province and supported by the ICRC. The support will consist of provision of medical supplies during the first half of 2024.
