Health Everyone's Responsibility.
Event alluding to Universal Health Coverage Day highlights challenges, progress and strategies to strengthen health services in Angola.
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The Ministry of Health, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), held on December 12, the event to celebrate Universal Health Coverage Day, under the motto "Health Responsibility for All".
The high-level event chaired by the Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, brought together different Secretaries of State, Vice-Governors for the Political and Social sector, members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Angola, representatives of United Nations agencies, National Directors of the Ministry of Health and members of civil society.
The main objective of the ceremony was to strengthen collaboration and financing for the health sector among the partners, as well as to reinforce the commitment to ensure universal access to quality health services and immunization.
In his welcome speech, the Governor of Luanda for the Political and Social Sector, Manuel Gonçalves, reinforced that "universal health coverage is not just a goal, but a path that we must walk together, where each of us, regardless of our position, has a role to play".
Fernanda Alves, representing the WHO, highlighted the relevance of universal health coverage in promoting equity and fighting poverty.
"The challenge in universal health coverage is visible in most essential services, and today, concerted efforts to identify and treat all cases of tuberculosis, for example, and other communicable diseases must be vital in order to achieve the goal of zero by 2030."
To address these challenges and ensure the availability of the essential care that people need, countries must strengthen primary health care, which includes care at all stages of life, looking at prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.
"We urgently need to convert political commitment into concrete actions that guarantee access to health services universally and free of charge, leaving no one behind." Added Fernanda Alves.
In turn, Antero de Pina, representative of UNICEF, reinforced the importance of the efforts already undertaken.
"Universal Health Coverage Day also serves to value the efforts made by the government and partners to achieve great results, such as the vaccination of about 6 million children during the polio vaccination campaigns carried out in 2024," he said
During the conference, four key themes focused on strengthening the health system in Angola were discussed. The results of the work of Monitoring the Commitments of the Luanda Declaration were presented, focusing on the gains and challenges to revitalize Primary Health Care. The National Community Health Policy and Strategy was also presented, which proposes public and private sector actions to improve health at the community level.
Also under discussion were the National Strategic Plan for the Health Information System, which aims to produce reliable data to guide decisions and improve health services; and the importance of revitalizing routine immunization was reinforced, mobilizing health professionals, partners and civil society to ensure that vaccines reach all children, preventing diseases and ensuring herd immunity.
During the presentation of the results of the work on Monitoring the Commitments of the Luanda Declaration, Helga Freitas, National Director of Public Health, highlighted the importance of the commitment made since 2022, based on the Luanda Declaration, where 19 indicators were established to monitor progress in the health sector.
"We have seen a trend of improvement in health services in several municipalities, which means that more people are taking advantage of these services. However, there are still municipalities that are not progressing and continuous monitoring is needed to ensure access for all".
The National Strategic Plan for Community Health 2024-2028, presented by Dr. Maria Futi Coordinator of the community health program provides for the strengthening of the health system through the expansion of primary care, the health workforce and innovation. The plan seeks to address the overload of secondary and tertiary levels and bring essential services closer to communities.
Among the advances seen in the sector, Leonardo Europeu Inocêncio, Secretary of State for Hospital Health, highlighted the investment in the infrastructures of the national health service, which in a way has increased the response capacity, thus improving access to the availability of services for the population.
The Secretary of State acknowledged the challenges and called for a continued effort to "increase access for all our citizens to achieve universal health coverage".
Honoring Polio Champions
One of the highlights of the event was the tribute paid to the "champions of polio" – volunteers, partners, community leaders and health workers who dedicated decades of their lives to the fight for polio eradication in Angola.
Celso Malavoloneke, former UNICEF Development Communications Officer and one of the honorees, valued the honor and highlighted the importance of social mobilization in the fight against polio.
"The event was an important milestone to show the strength that the union of the whole society can have in the promotion and defense of children's rights, namely the right to health and to a polio-free world, which turned out to be an achievement resulting from this joint effort", said the also former Secretary of State for Social Communication.
Teresa Fedão, Disability and Inclusion Officer, shared her trajectory as a polio survivor and highlighted:
"Today we are fighting to eradicate polio outside Angola and to be able to be part of this process, it is another dream achieved, to vaccinate children against polio, for me it is as if I were ensuring that those children do not go through the same thing I went through"
At the end of the event and in a message of gratitude to the honorees, the Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, recognized the efforts of the "brave warriors".
" Since Angola joined the global polio eradication initiative in 1995, the efforts of thousands of men and women have been the cornerstone of this national commitment. Early on, in a country still scarred by war and difficult access, we saw intrepid teams advance through remote areas, facing the risk of landmines, impassable terrain and logistical adversity to reach every child."
"We commend the sacrifice and bravery of health workers and volunteers who face immense challenges, from armed conflict to inaccessible terrain, to protect children from polio." Reinforced the Minister.
The event served to renew the national commitment to ensuring access to health as a fundamental right, arguing that "no one should be left behind". Partners were invited to continue walking the path of Universal Health Coverage, promoting social justice, equity and the well-being of all citizens.
