For the final seven a long time, the World Well being Group (WHO), the worldwide authority on well being, has served because the nexus connecting nations, companions, and other people to advertise well being, guarantee international security, and support the weak. Our unwavering mandate is to assist everybody, in all places, obtain the very best normal of well being and well-being. At this time, because the Performing WHO consultant in Angola, I need to share an formidable but pivotal transition: the shift from the normal Major Well being Care (PHC) strategy to a newly Revitalized Major Well being Care Strategy.
Our prior deal with PHC emerged from the 1978 Alma Ata convention, which advocated for healthcare accessible to all, with a deal with accessibility, public participation, well being promotion, and acceptable know-how. It served as a base of our well being system, guaranteeing fundamental but important providers to our residents. Nonetheless, the evolving well being dynamics, persistent well being inequalities, altering socio-demographics, and the burden of recent well being wants necessitate a recalibration of this strategy.
WHO’s mission, encapsulated by our triple billion targets, goals to safe common well being protection for a billion extra individuals, defend one other billion from well being emergencies, and guarantee a billion extra get pleasure from higher well being and well-being by 2025. Nonetheless, regardless of some progress, our well being service protection in Africa lags behind the worldwide common. Monetary dangers stay excessive, with out-of-pocket in Africa at 36% on common and 34% in Angola. As well as, the well being workforce and infrastructure within the well being sector face important shortages. On the identical time, 75% of nations within the WHO African Area spend a mean of $54 per capita on well being, in need of the per capita requirement wanted to offer a package deal of important well being providers, estimated at $127. Due to this fact, the Abuja goal of allocating as much as 15% of the overall state price range to well being stays unfulfilled, additional delaying the conclusion of the Well being for All assumption.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, our well being programs have proven resilience and capability for enchancment however have additionally uncovered vulnerabilities and areas for additional growth. It is time to adapt and evolve, embracing the Revitalized PHC Strategy, because the Astana Declaration 2018 envisioned. This strategy is person-centered, attending to our populations’ various well being and well-being wants and lengthening your entire continuum of care.
So, what does this revitalized strategy imply for Angola? It implies a shift from a package deal for the agricultural poor to a necessary package deal for all, a transfer from a program-centered system to 1 that prioritizes the person, from focusing totally on moms and youngsters to addressing all weak populations, and from specializing in acute infectious ailments to addressing all circumstances. It means recognizing that PHC is just not low-cost however a proper, providing good worth for cash.
We have outlined our path by way of 5 key motion areas to realign our well being programs in step with the revitalized PHC strategy.
Firstly, we should agree on a necessary well being package deal of providers, a elementary shift from the essential packages of the previous. We should deal with revolutionary methods to ship these essential providers to all, no matter age, location, or well being standing.
Secondly, we have to discover the most effective modalities for delivering important providers. This consists of defining the roles and relationships between varied suppliers and mapping out the important service platforms finest fitted to every modality.
Thirdly, integrating PHC parts is essential. We intention to transition from vertical, remoted applications to mixed, complete providers, incorporating multisectoral engagement and neighborhood empowerment.
Fourthly, system readiness is important. This includes making ready our well being system to ship these important providers extra successfully. We should strengthen licensing, registration, and accreditation programs, enhance supervision and mentoring, and guarantee affected person security. We should additionally set up and cling to care pointers, requirements, charters, and audits.
Lastly, we’d like a strong monitoring system. This features a complete well being data system technique and an M&E plan. Additionally, analytic capability and the event of PHC data merchandise are important for understanding our system’s performance.
We’re at an important juncture. The highway to well being for all is demanding, however we’re prepared for the problem. Allow us to decide to this journey collectively, reassured that our shared imaginative and prescient of a more healthy Angola will change into a actuality. The way forward for well being, not just for Angola however for Africa, hinges on our willingness to embrace the Revitalized Major Well being Care Strategy.
“Dr. Humphrey Karamagi, a local of Uganda, is a famend public well being knowledgeable dedicated to enhancing well being programs worldwide. Since June 2023, he has been the Performing WHO Consultant in Angola. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Well being from the London Faculty of Hygiene and Tropical Drugs, an MSc from the London Faculty of Economics, and an MBChB from Makerere College Medical Faculty. His work in a number of international locations on the stage of the WHO African Area has strengthened well being providers and improved technical cooperation.”
For Further Info or to Request Interviews, Please contact: Olívio Gambo Oficial de Comunicação Escritório da OMS em Angola gamboo@who.int T: +244 923 61 48 57
