Africa-Press – Angola. In a message, the Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, states that the construction of hospitals, centers and health posts aims to ensure that health services reach everyone who needs them.
The Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, guaranteed that Angola has greatly expanded people’s ability to access healthcare.
In a message on International Universal Health Coverage Day, which is celebrated today, the minister states that “the construction, expansion and rehabilitation of more than 163 new health units were carried out, of which 155 are for primary care”.
Sílvia Lutucuta adds that bed capacity increased from a minimum of 13,426 to 37,808 in the period from 2017 to 2022.
Citing the speech on the State of the Nation, given by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, on October 15, the Minister of Health states that, in the last legislature, the country also recruited 41,093 health professionals, including doctors, nurses, health technicians, diagnosis and therapy and others, with 80 percent of the doctors recruited being placed at municipal level.
“We have also focused on ensuring that the population of Angola has access to more essential health services. For example, specialized hemodialysis services are now in 10 provinces, compared to just three provinces in 2017. We have also opened surgery services in the country cardiac and specialized women’s care services”, he highlighted.
Sílvia Lutucuta warns, however, that “this progress should not be a reason to sit down and celebrate”.
The Minister of Health states that Universal Health Coverage requires progress in three areas: (1) making more health interventions available to people until all essential services for health and well-being can be obtained; (2) ensure that everyone who needs these services can access and use them; and (3) that people do not face financial difficulties when using these essential services.
“We are investing in the health sector to make progress in these three areas”, he highlighted.
To make more health services available, he said, we continue to introduce essential interventions across the care continuum to ensure everyone’s needs are met.
Introduction of the human papillomavirus vaccine
To this end, he said, the introduction, in Angola, of new interventions aimed at health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, clinical care, rehabilitation and palliation is planned.
“In 2024, for example, we have already scheduled the introduction of the vaccine against the human papilloma virus (HPV) for young Angolan women and we are working hard to make a vaccine against malaria available”, highlighted the minister.
“The investments we are making in hospitals will allow us to introduce more specialized services, while investments in primary care will allow us to introduce geriatric and rehabilitation services”, emphasized the minister, also highlighting the expansion of infrastructure, namely hospitals , health centers and posts, to ensure that health services reach everyone who needs them.
“Our goal is to ensure that people can receive the care they need, as close to their homes as possible. We are renovating our health centers to ensure they can provide more promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services,” mentioned.
“Universal Health Coverage is possible in Angola. And we are moving towards it. We must all work together to achieve this goal – it is what we, Angolans, deserve”, he said.
World Universal Health Day or International Universal Health Coverage Day is celebrated annually on December 12th. The date was created through Resolution 72/138, adopted at the United Nations General Assembly in 2017.
The approval of the resolution was the starting point for the World Bank Group and the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify Universal Health Coverage as a priority for all nations and essential for achieving sustainable development, thus reaffirming health as a human right.
Bengo General Hospital
Last month, President João Lourenço inaugurated the new Bengo General Hospital, located in Bucula, in the city of Caxito.
The new health unit, called Reverend Guilherme Pereira English, has capacity for 200 beds, 15 clinical areas, distributed in 24 blocks, six residences for professionals and a hemodialysis center.
The hospital, which will also be a training and scientific research center, will encompass several services such as general medicine, pediatrics and surgery.
The country has 3,325 health units
In his speech on the State of the Nation, on October 15th, the President of the Republic highlighted the reduction in mortality of children under five from 167 to 75 per thousand live births.
The National Health Service currently has 13 Central and Specialty Hospitals, six Institutes, 23 General and Provincial Hospitals, 172 Municipal Hospitals, 800 Health Centers and 2,311 Health Posts, totaling 3,325 units. The number of hospital beds increased from 13,426 in 2017 to 37,808 beds in 2022, representing an additional 24,382 hospital beds in just six years.
At the central level, 31 public investment projects are planned, with emphasis on 14 general hospitals, three tertiary level maternal and child hospitals, 10 specialized treatment units, with emphasis on the future Hospital dos Queimados, Oncology Hospital, Traumatology Hospital and Ophthalmology Hospital. The Neves Bendinha Specialized Hospital has already been reopened.
New hospitals in 2024
For next year, the country plans to inaugurate the Sumbe General Hospital, the Ondjiva General Hospital, the Ndalatando General Hospital, the Viana General Hospital, the Cacuaco General Hospital, the Pedalé General Hospital, in Luanda, and the Municipal Luau. The Executive also has in its portfolio the construction of the Catumbela, Bailundo, Dundo and Malanje General Hospitals, the new Main Military Hospital and the completion of the Mbanza Kongo General Hospital.
The Head of State also announced that, within the scope of the PIIM (Integrated Plan for Intervention in Municipalities), 163 health units are under construction that will increase coverage at proximity levels.
By 2027, around 10,800 doctors and 78,500 nurses are expected to be admitted to join the health units under construction and to be built.
Maternal mortality rate reduces by 73.9 percent
The execution of the General State Budget by the various bodies, throughout the Third Quarter of 2023, allowed the reduction of the maternal mortality rate by 73.9 percent and the incidence of transmission of the HIV/AIDS virus from mother to child by 10 Percent.
According to the State General Budget Execution Report for the Third Quarter of 2023, there was also a 10 percent reduction in deaths from malaria compared to 2022, which had a high number of cases due to to the Covid-19 pandemic. The report also highlights the increase in the percentage of the population with access to health services to 60 percent and an average increase of 19.5 percent in national routine vaccination coverage.
First neuronavigator and surgical microscope for the Neurosurgery Service
Since May, the Cardeal Dom Alexandre do Nascimento Hospital Complex for Cardio-Pulmonary Diseases (CHDCP) has had a Neuronavigation and Surgical Microscope system for the Neurosurgery service.
According to the general director of CHDCP, Carlos Alberto Masseca, with the assembly of this equipment, the first device in Angola and second in Africa, the country is able to respond to Neurosurgery problems, allowing patients to be treated internally, reducing, substantially, transfers abroad of the country.
General Hospital of Benguela performs unprecedented jaw prosthesis surgery
Last month, a team of surgeons from the General Hospital of Benguela (HGB) carried out surgery to implant a titanium jaw prosthesis, an unprecedented event in the history of the National Health System in Angola.
This is a 22-year-old patient, who was undergoing medical monitoring at the General Hospital of Benguela, having undergone surgery to replace a titanium plate with a personalized prosthesis, using the surgical technique of mandibular removal and reconstruction..
The unprecedented surgery lasted around four hours and involved a multidisciplinary team of more than ten specialist doctors from the Benguela General Hospital.
Speaking to ANGOP, the director of the General Hospital of Benguela, Divane Marcolino, said that the user attended the health unit two years ago and was diagnosed with a benign tumor (Ameloblastoma) of the jaw, which prevented her from speaking properly.
Because of the inconvenience, pain and discomfort that the woman felt, he pointed out, the HGB surgery team saw the need to carry out the surgical procedure, which allowed the insertion of a titanium plate.
Divane Marcolino highlighted how important this surgery was, because the anterior plate was removed and a new personalized prosthesis with temporal/mandibular joint was inserted.
Satisfied with the achievement of the HGB doctors, Divane Marcolino considers the first surgery of this nature and complexity, carried out in a hospital unit in Angola, a historic milestone, a step towards strengthening the National Health System.
Nursing Technicians recognize advances in healthcare infrastructures
The general secretary of Nursing Technicians of Luanda, Afonso Quileba, said, yesterday, in Luanda, that the country has registered, in recent times, progress with the construction of health units at the primary, secondary and tertiary level.
Afonso Quileba, who was speaking in reference to the celebrations of the International Day of Universal Health Coverage, highlighted the need to reconcile gains in terms of infrastructure with the quality of the service provided to the population and the inclusion of more professionals in the sector.
It is important to pay attention to universal concepts, which are the organic statutes for the functioning of these units, he highlighted. “In addition to building more hospitals, it is important to ensure the use, in terms of staffing, to respond to the demand of patients who come to health units”, he considered.
Afonso Quileba indicated that health aims to safeguard the interests of citizens’ lives. “It means that we must invest more, both in material, human and financial resources”, he highlighted.
By meeting these challenges, he stressed, we could say that we are on the right track, because the desired level of service coverage for the population has not yet been achieved, despite having well-built units.
“For us, it is important that as more health units are built, a public competition for admission is also opened, because what is happening is that with the construction of more hospitals there is a greater need for technicians” , he said.
The president of the Order of Doctors, Elisa Gaspar, referred any consideration to World Universal Health Coverage Day, while the president of the National Union of Doctors, Adriano Manuel, suggests that a diagnosis be made to the national system of health, to get an idea of possible progress in universal coverage.
Engrácia Francisco
WHO: “Angola is making progress towards the goal of universal coverage”
The Government and people of Angola are making progress towards the objective of Universal Health Coverage, an important driver for achieving the health and well-being that the Angolan people desire, the representative of the World Health Organization said yesterday (WHO), Humphrey Karamagi.
In an article published, regarding World Universal Health Coverage Day, which is celebrated today, the WHO representative states that this year’s theme “Health for all: time for action” is especially crucial for Angola and for the African region in general.
“We urgently need to convert the political commitment to Universal Health Coverage into concrete actions that have an impact on people’s health and well-being, leaving no one behind”, appealed Humphrey Karamagi.
The WHO representative highlighted five points that he considers important for Angola’s health systems. Firstly, he said, we need to invest more in Universal Health Coverage and ensure that everyone, everywhere, can access essential health services without financial hardship.
Humphrey Karamagi proposes, secondly, strengthening health systems and ensuring their functionality. “We need the health professionals, infrastructure and health products necessary to guarantee universal health coverage,” he stressed.
Thirdly, he added, we must broaden the approach to primary health care. “This is not about basic services, but about ensuring that everyone – young/old, men/women – has access to the first point of care for whatever their health needs,” he appealed.
The fourth point has to do with the need to work in all communities and sectors. The actions necessary to achieve universal health coverage, he highlighted, are not only found in the health sector, but also in education, water, provincial administration, security, gender, investment, employment and other sectors. “To be practical and realistic, these actions have to be approached from an individual/family point of view”, she stressed.
The WHO representative finally points out the need to promote innovation to reach everyone, adding that “we are not going to get there with old approaches.” “We have to look for new ways to reach communities and empower them , telemedicine and other unique approaches to address the old challenges that countries face”, he said.
The WHO representative considers “Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day” a time to take stock of the progress being made and the challenges faced in the evolution towards Universal Health Coverage, ensuring that all people, everywhere, have access to the essential health services they need for their health and well-being, without facing financial difficulties.
“The day is a celebration of the progress being made towards equitable access to essential services – an important prerequisite for health for all”, he highlighted.
Jornal de Angola
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