Abstract
This study aimed to examine the extent to which development assistance for health (DAH) has been localized in Mozambique and the implications for attaining the country’s sustainable development goal (SDG) of health. This was a descriptive-interpretive qualitative study, which relied on primary data, sourced mainly through semi-structured interviews with representatives from community-based organizations, international non-governmental organizations, and donor institutions in Maputo, Mozambique. Secondary data was also collected from books, journal articles, policy documents and official websites by government, donors, and local actors. While there is a strong impetus to localize DAH in Mozambique and an understanding of its potential to accelerate SDG 3, evidence collected in this study suggests that localization has occurred to a very limited extent in practice. Despite the intention of localization to place local actors at the center of the aid architecture, the reality contradicts this objective. Instead, evidence indicates that the process of localization in Mozambique remains donor centered. The failure to genuinely transform aid relations is evident as local actors are not placed at the center of the process. Donors dictate the parameters of localization, perpetuating the imbalances that initially prompted the call for localization.