Medico Legal at Mozambique
Mozambique's medico-legal system encompasses the intersection of medical and legal processes, particularly in areas such as death registration, forensic investigations, and health research.
Death Registration and Certification:
Legal Framework: Law No. 12/2004, the Civil Registration Code, mandates the registration of deaths in Mozambique. The Civil Registry Office, under the Ministry of Justice, oversees this process. A medical certificate, police report, or declaration from a community leader is required to register a death. An official death certificate is typically issued within 48 hours.
Forensic Medicine Services:
Department of Legal Medicine: The Ministry of Health's Department of Legal Medicine in Maputo is responsible for conducting medico-legal examinations, including autopsies and assessments of causes of death.
Private Sector Involvement: Private medical entities, such as Clinicare, offer legal medicine services. These services involve medical examinations for legal purposes, conducted by specialists known as coroners. Contact details for Clinicare are as follows:
Address: Rua Ângelo Azarias Chichava CP 1676 (Ex-Rua Duarte Galvão Nº 50), Maputo, Mozambique
Advancements in Cause of Death Determination:
Minimally Invasive Autopsy (MIA): In southern Mozambique, healthcare providers have explored the use of MIAs as an alternative to traditional autopsies for determining causes of death. MIAs involve minimally invasive procedures to collect samples for analysis. Studies have shown moderate to substantial concordance between MIA and complete diagnostic autopsy results.
Legal Framework for Health Research:
Human Health Research Law: Enacted in June 2023, this law establishes principles and regulations for human health research in Mozambique. Its objectives include ensuring ethical standards, promoting scientific development, and integrating research findings into health policy-making.
International Support and Collaboration:
Capacity Building: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has provided specialized forensic equipment to Mozambique's National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC). This support aims to enhance the country's capacity to investigate and respond to terrorism-related offenses.
These developments reflect Mozambique's ongoing efforts to strengthen its medico-legal system, improve vital statistics registration, and enhance health research governance.
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