Healthcare

Mozambique's public healthcare system faces significant challenges — underfunding, staff shortages, and limited equipment mean that expats should not rely on public facilities for anything beyond basic emergency care. The country has approximately 224 private healthcare facilities, with 141 concentrated in Maputo. For serious medical issues, most expats and wealthier locals travel to South Africa (Johannesburg is just 1 hour by air) for treatment.

Maputo is the only city with a reasonable selection of private healthcare facilities. Several private hospitals and clinics offer care approaching international standards, with doctors who are often foreign-trained and speak English or Portuguese fluently. However, even the best facilities in Mozambique cannot match the capabilities of major hospitals in South Africa or Europe for complex procedures.

International health insurance with medical evacuation coverage is the single most important investment an expat makes in Mozambique. Without it, a serious medical emergency could mean inadequate local treatment or catastrophic out-of-pocket costs for evacuation to South Africa. Every major international insurer offers plans covering Mozambique, but make sure your policy explicitly includes aeromedical evacuation.

Pharmacies in Maputo stock basic medications, but the range is limited compared to developed countries. Many expats bring a supply of their regular medications from home or from South Africa. Prescription requirements exist but are loosely enforced at many pharmacies, though this is not guaranteed.