Menu

Ministry of Education, Maputo, Mozambique

‘Support to the HIV/AIDS Programme’ at the Ministry of Education, Division of Higher Education, in Mozambique. 


  • Directorate for the Coordination of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Culture (http://www.mec.gov.mz/), Maputo, Mozambique
  • The project is part of the NUFFIC (Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education) support to Mozambique within the Netherlands Programme for the Institutional Strengthening of Post secondary Education and Training.In the Netherlands the project is implemented and supported by a consortium of MUNDO (University Maastricht), NIIH and the ETC Crystal Consultancy group. The first phase of the project has been awarded €1.200.000 for a duration of 3 year (2005-2008). 
  • The project concerns science management and curriculum development within higher education in the area of HIV/AIDS.The purpose of the project is to mobilise academic staff and students in controlling HIV/AIDS in Mozambique and to stimulate action-oriented research to support policy makers and implementers of  HIV/AIDS control programs. The project has the following three objectives: (1) stimulate research on HIV/AIDS and related problems; (2) disseminate research results policy makers and implementers of  HIV/AIDS control programs; and (3) develop curricula in all higher education training programs (not only biomedical, but also social, behavioural and economic sciences) on HIV/AIDS and related problems.

 

Project strategies

The strategy of this project is to emphasize the role of the Higher Education sector in the national HIV/AIDS control efforts.This program supports research which is action-oriented and practically relevant. State-of-the-art and evidence-based HIV/AIDS intervention strategies will be translated into relevant curricula. Staff, students and graduates are expected to contribute to the implementation and development of HIV/AIDS interventions on the basis of their training and research.


The role of the consortium partners

The role of the consortium partners is primarily directed towards institutional development and the transfer of specific expertise in the area of reproductive and sexual health in a broad spectrum of relevant scientific domains: social, behavioural, economic, human rights (particularly in terms of rights of women and youth in relation to reproductive health), gender, biomedical, organisation and management of health systems.Linkages will be established with selected institutes in Mozambique in the three key areas, through exchange visits and workshops.A fund will be established (€275.000) to financially support research and curriculum development initiatives of institutes for higher education. 

The 3 theme groups are:

  1. Behavioural sciences, coordinated by the Faculty of Education of Eduardo Mondlane University (Deborah Nandja), supported by the RESHAPE group of Kok and van der Borne, Faculty of Health Promotion, University of Maastricht.
  2. Health systems and biomedical, coordinated by the Faculty of Medicine of Eduardo Mondlane University (Manuel Chipeja), supported by UMCN-NIIH Health (Koos van der Velden, André van der Ven).
  3. Socio-economical, coordinated by the Faculty of Management and Economics of the Catholic University of Mozambique (Mariana Posse), supported by the UM-BEOZ group in collaboration with UMCN/Public Health (Rob Baltussen) MUNDO (Maastricht University Centre for International Cooperation in Academic Development) is responsible for coordination, management and monitoring of the project on behalf of the consortium.The Directorate of Higher Education has appointed a HIV/AIDS coordinator, who will be seconded by a counterpart of the consortium, who will provide technical support during prolonged periods of time. 


Relevance of the project for NIIH

For NIIH this project fits in the focus on the 3 poverty-related disease (AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria), in collaboration with some of the existing partners in the PRIOR research program. In addition this project involves the department of Public Health in NIIH activities (Koos van der Velden). 

Henri A.G.H. van Asten, MD MPH

NIIH