Since the first covid-19 case appeared in the country on February 21, WHO has made the government available around two million dollars for support in preparing for and responding to the emergency.
According to a statement sent to VerAngola by the organization, support ranges from strengthening capacities for screening and detecting positive cases to training technicians and acquiring equipment and tests for laboratories, as well as purchasing essential materials to combat the disease, raising public awareness of prevention measures, as well as strengthening national capacities to maintain other essential health programs.
For the holder of the Foreign Affairs portfolio, WHO is a crucial partner, which has proven itself during several years of joint work “for the health and well-being of Angolans”.
“The new WHO Representative arrives in our country at a crucial moment when the covid-19 pandemic affects everyone and requires everyone's support. I want to convey our welcome, and the unconditional support to work together, innovate, fight the coronavirus, and guarantee the improvement of the health of our population ”, said Téte António.
For the 2020/2021 biennium, WHO and the Ministry of Health have defined as priorities support for improving access to essential quality health services, strengthening preparedness and responding to public health emergencies, reducing risk factors for health through multisectoral action and the strengthening of capacities for the production and use of data and innovation. In total, WHO expects to invest US $ 42 million to implement the planned strategic actions.
Djamila Cabral reinforced her commitment to the country, who said she could count on her unconditional support to reinforce the ongoing actions to combat covid-19 and accelerate the actions aimed at achieving universal health coverage. “I am very honored to be able to serve Angola. We will continue to work hard with all key partners, to intensify our contribution to improving the health of Angolans, within the context of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals ”, he said.
Djamila Cabral, of Guinean nationality, has a doctorate in Medicine since 1987 from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and a Master in Demography from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. In addition to Angola, she was a WHO Representative in Mozambique, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast, and Coordinator of the WHO Inter-country Support Team for West Africa.
