In brief
Rosita Salvador Mabuiango, celebrated as a 'miracle baby' after her dramatic birth during the 2000 Mozambique floods, has passed away at 25. Born in a tree where her mother sought refuge from rising waters, Rosita's life became a poignant symbol of resilience. Her death has spurred national mourning and highlighted ongoing health care challenges in Mozambique.
She was seen as a 'miracle baby' after being born in a tree which her mother had climbed to escape flooding, but nearly 26 years on, Mozambican Rosita Salvador Mabuiango has died after a long illness, her sister told the BBC.
The sight of the newborn and her mother being winched to safety by helicopter amid the deluged landscape became one of the defining images of the Mozambique floods of 2000 – the country's worst-ever.
Reflecting on Rosita's life, President Daniel Chapo described her as a symbol for girls in the country.
In February 2000, hundreds died and hundreds of thousands of others were forced from their homes after the Limpopo river burst its banks in southern Mozambique.
Rosita's mother, Carolina Cecilia Chirindza, was one of those caught up in the crisis. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Carolina went into labor and shortly afterwards she and the newborn were spotted by a South African military helicopter that was helping in the rescue operations. The two became symbols of the aftermath of the disaster, traveling to the US later in 2000 to speak to Congress and raise awareness about what had happened.
On Monday, confirming the news of Rosita's death at 25, her sister Celia Salvador told the BBC that she had 'passed away after a prolonged illness.' According to other family sources, Rosita had been battling against the blood disorder anaemia for years.
Political analyst Charles Mangwiro described her death as a 'wake-up call for the government to improve service delivery in the entire health system in the country.' Chibuto Mayor Henriques Machava mentioned that discussions were underway with the family to formalize funeral arrangements, which would be taken care of by the municipality.
