Luanda - Angola's maternal and infant mortality rates have dropped from 260 to 150 deaths per 1,000 live births, Health Minister Sílvia Lutucuta said Saturday in Luanda.
The minister presented these figures during the 1st Conference of Interns at Luanda's Lucrécia Paím Maternity Hospital, held on December 13 and 14 under the theme "Thinking about the present and contributing to the future of gynecology, obstetrics and fetal health in Angola".
The Minister stressed that the data still do not meet the expectations of the Ministry of Health.
Sílvia Lutucuta added that the ideal would be 10 per thousand live births, but factors such as the socioeconomic situation, geographical dispersion and some difficulties in providing some services have made it difficult to achieve this goal, but the government is committed to improving services.
The minister emphasized that the Angolan government will invest in the training of 38,000 specialized health workers over the next five years.
This commitment, according to the Minister, is aimed at responding to the situation that prevails in some parts of the country regarding the lack of specialized professionals, a fact that has been timely remedied with the training of 262 new specialists in obstetrics and gynecology in recent years.
"Last week, 32 specialists completed their training," she said.
The minister also said that the most important component for improving health services is investing in the training of human capital, and the Lucrécia Paím Maternity Hospital is a traditional medical school, especially in the area of gynecology, obstetrics and fetal health.
According to the official, the institution currently has 109 residents at different levels, from almost all over the country, hence the importance of comprehensive training and scientific conferences.
This, the Minister added, is for the exchange of experiences, as well as the analysis of what is being done and the interaction between professionals in order to share knowledge.
Silvia Lutucuta highlighted the importance of the event, since it encourages debate with a high level of technical rigor, innovative and proactive approach, delving into the state of the art in the provision of obstetric and gynecological care, which also allows the exchange of experiences.
The Minister said that the meeting also serves as an opportunity for specialists from different hospital departments and interns to show the quality of their work and make a commitment to play a more important role in the national health system.
According to the minister, the government has invested in access to health services with the construction of 190 modern health units, 175 of which are at the primary care level.
In addition, 46,705 new professionals have joined the public health service in specialized careers and in the general regime. ANM/SC/TED/AMP
