Africa-Press – Angola. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that Angola has reduced neonatal mortality from 24 to 16 deaths per 1,000 live births and infant mortality from 44 to 32 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Angola also reduced the mortality rate of children under 5 from 68 to 52 deaths per 1,000 live births, with the WHO considering that challenges remain in the Portuguese-speaking African country regarding coverage of prenatal care and qualified assistance at births.
In a note alluding to World Health Day, which is celebrated today, the WHO considers that Angola has made “significant progress” in maternal and child health and encourages the Angolan executive and partners to invest in high-impact maternal and neonatal health services.
The UN health agency also advocates that Angolan authorities must ensure equitable access to quality care, adopt laws that protect health rights, address social and economic inequalities and strengthen accountability and innovation.
The Integrated Strategic Plan for Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child, Adolescent and Nutritional Health, recently developed in Angola, “is an essential tool to guide universal coverage of high-impact, high-quality interventions”, the note states.
According to the WHO representative in Angola, Indrajit Harazika, quoted in the statement, World Health Day is an opportunity to celebrate remarkable progress achieved in the area of health and to advocate for urgent actions to address the profound challenges that persist”.
“Investing in maternal and neonatal health generates substantial economic returns, in addition to saving lives (…). We will work together with the executive, families, the private sector (…) to intensify efforts to end preventable maternal and neonatal deaths and to prioritize the long-term health and well-being of women in Angola”, said the official.
The Angolan Ministry of Health, in a statement commemorating the date, also highlighted the significant progress in reducing neonatal, infant and under-5 mortality rates, already highlighted by the WHO.
These results are “testament to the commitment, dedication and hard work of the [Angolan] executive, our health professionals, families and the support of our partners”, highlights the ministerial department.
“Despite the significant progress achieved, the path to ensuring the health and well-being of all mothers and children in Angola is far from complete. The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis that has affected the entire world have created disruptions in health services,” it is also noted.
World Health Day celebrations are taking place under the theme “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures”, dedicated to maternal and child health.
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