Who we are
The Manhiça Health Research Centre (Portuguese acronym CISM), created in 1996, is one of the principal health research institutions in Mozambique.
Since its creation, the Centre has grown within the framework of a bilateral cooperation programme between the Mozambican and Spanish governments and with support from the Hospital Clinic of the University of Barcelona (through the Clinical Foundation for Biomedical Research). CISM’s mission has been to fight diseases and protect the health of vulnerable populations through research, healthcare and training.
The CISM fosters and conducts biomedical research in priority health areas, focussing on diseases that cause most deaths in the world, especially in developing countries. It generates scientific evidence to influence creating and updating health policy in Mozambique and the world.
The institution creates scientific leaders not only to sustain the Centre and to develop research capacity in Mozambique but also to drive development in the country’s health sector.
The activities of CISM stand on three pillars: research, training and healthcare. The CISM is divided into five departments: clinic, demography, laboratory, data centre and information technology. It also relies on areas of support: a training unit and a unit for advocacy, institutional relations and communications. Crucial platforms support the development of research activities: demographic and geographic surveillance as well as a morbidity surveillance platform managed by the clinical department.
Our vision
To be a center of excellence in biomedical research that generates evidence to guide public health policy countries in the world
Our Mission
To conduct biomedical research in health priority areas to protect and improve the population’s health.
The team at CISM – the Manhiça Health Research Centre –
Dinis Nguenha, MD
He is currently a Research Physician at Manhiça Health Research Center (Centro de Investigação em Saude de Manhiça, CISM), located in the southern region of Mozambique. CISM serves a catchment area with a high burden of infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis.
As a Research Physician his current responsibilities include staffing the pediatric ward of Manhiça District Hospital (HDM) as well as engaging in a variety of different research projects and clinical trials focused on diseases of poverty and low-resource settings.
He currently leads and supervises a clinical study team which actively engages in the Ministry of Health, National Quality Improvement program and which promotes implementation science research in order to find practical evidence-based solutions to our most serious public health challenges.
His particular research interests include the study of TB in a high burden HIV and HIV/TB co-infection setting. Currently he coordinate all the clinical procedures of several ongoing TB research studies and clinical trials at CISM.
Marta Cossa, MD
Dr. Marta Cossa joined the Manhiça Health Research Center (CISM) in 2021 as a clinical coordinator in the Tuberculosis Research Group.
Marta has been actively involved in various TB related projects and currently as the clinical coordinator aims to contribute to the PreFIT projects’ implementation, day-to-day management and clinical site visits.
She completed her degree in Medicine at the Higher Institute of Science and Technology of Mozambique (ISCTEM) in Maputo-Mozambique, in 2019, and since has been engaged in health related activities as a physician in the pediatric emergency department in public and private sector hospitals in Maputo in the beginning of her career and shifted to pursue her goals in taking her research career onwards.
Patricia Manjate
Dr. Patricia Manjate joined the Manhiça Health Research Center (CISM) in 2020 as a superior laboratory technician.
Patricia did her bachelor degree in Biomedical Sciences in University of Aveiro, and later joined CISM. She is currently working as a study focal point in research projects and clinical trials, diagnosing tuberculosis. Her responsibilities include processing of samples, biobanking, monitoring of stock of material, and other responsibilities that she is happy to take as a laboratory technician.
Sozinho Acácio
Dr. Sozinho Acácio has a degree in Medicine from the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo-Mozambique, and he later joined the Manhiça Health Research Center (CISM) in 2009.
Since he has joined CISM, Dr. Acácio has coordinated several studies with an emphasis on studies in the diarrheal diseases area “The Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS), studies in the areas of respiratory diseases and invasive bacterial diseases, Haemofilus Influenza type B (Hib), pneumococci, several studies in the area of tuberculosis and Health Surveillance and Child Mortality Prevention network (CHAMPS ) while leading the clinical department of the CISM an important morbidity and mortality platform that supports all research activities at the Center.
Between 2010 and 2013 he was admitted to the CISM’s Training Fellow Program for researchers, and in 2011, through this program, Dr. Acácio obtained his master’s degree in Clinical Research and International Health in 2014, from the University of Barcelona in Spain and in 2019 completed his PhD degree from the University of Barcelona in Spain. In 2011, he participated in a short-term training on Trial Site Management – Essential Skills for Study Coordinators, including Good Clinical Practice (GCP) certified. (Vienna School of Clinical research). In 2015, he participated in a short-term training on “Improving the quality of health services in low-resource settings” at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. He currently performs clinical activities in Pediatrics at the Manhiça District Hospital in parallel is a researcher coordinating studies in the area of tuberculosis at CISM.
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