According to Angop, the Specialized Center for the Treatment of Endemics and Pandemics, the Hospital Complex for Cardiopulmonary Diseases Cardeal Dom Alexandre do Nascimento, the Pediatric Hematological Institute Dra. Victoria do Espírito Santo, the Hospital Materno Infantil Azancot Menezes and Hospital Geral do Bié stand out as some of the main units built in the period in question.
Thus, with the new infrastructure equipped with modern technology, the National Health System now has 13,426 more beds, advanced the minister, cited by Angop.
In terms of workforce, the minister stressed that in five years there has also been a reinforcement, with 33,093 professionals being inserted, totaling an increase of 35 percent of the total workforce.
She also added that most of the health technicians are young people. "Health technicians are mostly young people. The investment made follows a follow-up with the increase in staff at health posts, which went from 25 percent in 2017 to 70 percent in 2022", she said, quoted by Angop.
"The mandate of the WHO throughout history has proven that together we are stronger, and we are able to respond to the challenges that threaten global health on a daily basis and protect our populations", said the minister, who added: "Angola congratulates the WHO for reaching this important milestone, and we count on your leadership to overcome the challenges together and guarantee Health for All".
"As we look at the long and challenging path of the WHO, we have much to be proud of. Over the last seven and a half decades, extraordinary progress has been recorded in public health and in the protection of people against diseases", underlined the minister, cited in a statement sent to VerAngola.
The Secretary of State for Public Health, Carlos Pinto de Sousa – who gave the speech by the Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta –, stressed that the objectives of the WHO 75 years ago are still current: "In 1948, several countries came together to to found the World Health Organization with the ambitious objective of building a better and healthier future for people all over the world. After more than 75 years, this commitment remains current and crucial for the guarantee of Health For All".
Noting that the organization has been achieving several significant results for world health, the official said that "the 75th anniversary of the Organization should be an opportunity" to stop and reflect "on the remarkable achievements in improving the state of health and well-being -being of citizens", but should also "serve as an opportunity to" come together "around the common objective" and renew the "commitment to face the challenges that face us, to prevent preventable deaths and guarantee Health for All" .
In the speech, he also highlighted the signing of the Basic Agreement between the WHO and the Government, in 1976. "In this context, we would like to proudly highlight that, since the signing of the Basic Agreement between the World Health Organization and the Government of Angola, in Since 1976, our country has always been side by side with the WHO, actively participating in the definition of policies, guidelines, strategies and crucial actions for the improvement of health", he indicated.
"Together we have developed several initiatives that have led to interesting progress in reducing maternal and child mortality and mortality due to communicable and chronic non-communicable diseases and in strengthening the capacity to respond to public health emergencies, namely, an example of which is the success achieved in the eradication of polio and in the control of several epidemics such as Marburg hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever and, more recently, in the fight against covid-19, including support in the acquisition of vaccines and access for all Angolans in the group target to these same vaccines", he said.
"It is also important to mention the results achieved by the Executive in recent years in the area of health, which include: the construction and equipping of new health units; the significant increase in the number of health professionals from different categories recruited over the last few years and the efforts training and retention of health professionals", he added.
He also stressed that "the structuring investment made in the National Health Service was reflected in the improvement of the main indicators of the maternal and child health and nutrition program, namely in the increase in prenatal coverage, institutional delivery and the reduction of maternal mortality institutional. It was also reflected in the increase in comprehensive care for children and adolescents. As for nutrition, with difficulties caused mainly by the drought in the south of the country, measures were taken by the Executive with the emergency purchase of therapeutic milk and the replacement of products supplements, which had a timely effect, having improved the fatality rate with the reduction of deaths due to malnutrition".
He also mentioned the "Nascer Livre para Brilhar" campaign, noting that it "resulted in increased access by pregnant women to HIV diagnosis in prenatal consultations and in increased treatment for positive ones, with an increase in coverage of ART and the reduction of HIV transmission from mother to child", and there was also "an increase in coverage of Early Childhood Diagnosis throughout the country".
Among other issues, he considered that the country currently has a stronger National Health Service. “Angola today has a stronger and more resilient National Health Service. This is undoubted. the national commitment to our people to provide them with a healthier and longer life", he said.
He also reiterated the commitment of the Ministry of Health to continue working to improve the health of the populations in the country, adding that they hope to continue with the support of the WHO and other partners "for the strengthening of primary health care, with a view to guaranteeing that equity in access to health services, especially for the most vulnerable groups, such as women, children and the elderly, is accelerated and the country can move towards achieving Health for All".
The WHO representative in Angola, Djamila Cabral, reiterated the commitment to continue working with the Government: "We reiterate our commitment to work with the Government and other partners, for the repositioning of primary health care and guarantee that equity in the access to health services, especially for the most vulnerable such as women, children and the elderly, is accelerated and the country can move quickly towards achieving Health for All", she said, quoted in the note sent to VerAngola.
It should be noted that the launch ceremony of the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the WHO, which will take place until April 7, 2024, "was attended by members of the Government, representatives of the United Nations Agencies, the diplomatic corps accredited in Angola, key partners of the health, among others", says the statement, adding that "with this celebration, the WHO intends to highlight the remarkable progress that the world has been achieving in public health, highlight the challenges and future aspirations to guarantee "Health for Everyone", and motivate action to face the health challenges of today and tomorrow".
