Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

Investigators of American Global Health Center identify medical needs at GNP buffer zone

Aug 12, 2009 - Gorongosa National Park

Since last month, a team of four investigators from the United States of America has been preparing a document identifying the medical needs of communities that live in the zones in the vicinity of Gorongosa National Park (GNP). 

The group is composed of two doctors, namely Dra. Natasha Anandaraja and Dr. Sigrid Hahn, and an equal number of medical students, namely Lindsey Stephens and Samuel Holzman, of the Global Health Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York. 

At the time of their arrival in Mozambique, the members of the study met with provincial leaders, district health officials, and community leaders of the areas included in the study to present the proposal and obtain the necessary support for the success of the assignment.  They also met the main local stakeholders, including the NGOs that work in the area, health professionals, and members of the GNP Restoration Project, in order to define a strategy of sampling and recruitment. 

The team, which should conclude its work in Gorongosa this August, were supported by two members of GNP staff, namely Professor Domingos Muala and José Montinho, as well as Loveness Mussiywa, hired specifically to help with the translation of the interview recordings with focus groups from Sena to English and with interactions with local communities. 


The objectives of the study were to understand the factors that contribute to the health and infirmities of the populations that surround GNP in the perspective of members of the local communities, understand how the health of communities is connected to environmental questions given their proximity to the Park, and identify strategies and the most efficient interventions to help to reduce threats to environmental health and to improve the quality of public health in the region. 

The interviews were carried out with representative members of the communities to connect preliminary data about health and environmental questions in the region. 

In consultation with hydrologists, wildlife conservationists and other experts of GNP, the area chosen encircles Gorongosa Mountain Range, between the northwest border of the park and the flood plain in the southwest border.  It was selected due to its distinctive ecosystems, socio-economic conditions and the involvement of local inhabitants in the conservation of the environment. 

In this context, according to Lindsey Stephens, the plan of research was controlled to three zones of the mountain, corresponding the communities of Massara, Canda, and Nhancuco, in the district of Gorongosa, while in the area of the flood plain, Madungua, Micheu, and Nhampoca, in the district of Nhamatanda were chosen. 


According to our source, the focus groups were chosen in accordance with determined criteria and profiles, for example, balance of gender, being over the age of 18, residing in the zone of inquiry for at least two years, not forming a part of or in any way be connected to the structures of the community authorities and/or to a local NGO. 


The study will supply facts that will help to develop health services that are relevant, efficient, and oriented towards the communities of the region, as well as will describe in comprehensive form, the connections between public health and the ecosystems of GNP. 

As a matter of fact, an ecological approach for health considers human health and well being as elements influenced by the complex interaction between socio-economic and political factors and in particular, environmental questions.  Creative as well as practical solutions are necessary for the practices that put the environment at risk and those that have negative repercussions on public health. 

The initiators of this project are hopeful that it serves as a base for a partnership in the long term, which will include implementation of health programs, and investigations in the area of the public health and mutual learning. 

Carlitos Sunza
Department of Communications/GNP