353 Community readiness to prevent child maltreatment in Mozambique: an investigation among national and local key informants

<h3>Background</h3> Child maltreatment has been shown to be associated with adverse physical and behavioral health outcomes in children and families, lasting beyond childhood and into adulthood. Prevention requires a multi-level population-based approach (OR: commitment at all levels of the ecological model). But it is unknown what is the community readiness to address this pressing public health problem in Mozambique, a low-income country with high rates of child interpersonal violence. <h3>Objective</h3> This study aims to assess the readiness of stakeholders from organizations that address child maltreatment prevention or response at the national and local levels in Mozambique as one of the low- and middle-income countries and SSA countries. <h3>Methods</h3> This qualitative interview-based study used the WHO Readiness Assessment for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment (RAP-CM) instrument consisting of 10 dimensions to assess how ‘ready’ a country, province, or community is to implement evidence-based child maltreatment prevention programmes on a large scale to prevent child maltreatment before it occurs. A homogeneous purposive sample was used to select the participants from all relevant organizations that address child maltreatment prevention at the national and local level. <h3>Results</h3> A total of 18 participants were interviewed, 11 working at national level and 7 from the local level, with a mean RAP-CM score of 5.4, corresponding to the preparation stage, with individual dimension mean scores ranging from 3.5 to 7.5. Four dimensions scored below the overall average (current programme implementation evaluation; scientific data; material resources; and human and technical resources) and six were equal to or above average (will to address the problem; institutional links and resources; informal social resources; attitudes; legislation and knowledge). <h3>Conclusions</h3> Mozambican stakeholders are in preparation stage of readiness to prevent child maltreatment. Investments in a range of human and material resources may be a prerequisite to move beyond the existence of a law and ensure a greater level of community readiness. This might be facilitated by tapping those elements that are well in place.