Retrospect of the First Ladies Summit

 

Luanda - The health in the African continent was recently approached with more acuity at the First African Ladies Summit on health, where special importance was given to AIDS and teenagers education, in particular girls’ education.

The event that happened from April 20th to 22nd, in Los Angeles (U.S.A.), counted with the participation of the first ladies of Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroons, Cape Verde, Republic of Congo, Gambia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Senegal, Saw Lioness, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia.

During the meeting subordinated to the theme “Leadership for health”, the wives of the Chiefs of State of the countries above mentioned gave attention to malaria and maternal-infantile health, due to the raising of the mortality index that is being verified in countries as Cape Verde.

When speaking during the first pane, on the subject: “Leadership for health across the African continent”, the first lady of Angola, Ana Paula Dos Santos, announced some projects that are being implemented, since 2002, time when the country achieved peace and initiated a new dynamics with the execution of programs that are producing positive and encouraging results.

During her speech, Ana Paula Dos Santos, who made partnered with the first ladies of the Lesotho, Mozambique and Tanzania, affirmed that, nevertheless the fact that there is still much to do and a long way to cover, between 2003 and 2007 over a thousand sanitary units, among which 42 national and provincial hospitals, were built or rehabilitated and equipped.

During that exact period, said, the number of municipal hospitals tripled, the health centres doubled to 316 and 1,500 new health centres, were built. There was also a substantial increase of the medical network and of the medicinal assistance.

In what concerns the VIH/SIDA, that has a particular incidence on the women and children health, which is each time more a bigger threat to the family stability and to the economic and social development, she informed that the Angolan Government formed in 1989 the Angola's National AIDS Control Program, that in 2005 changed to National Institute to Fight AIDS.

“Such occurs to confer greater capacity to international interventions and to extend the multi-sector partnerships with the civil society”, stated.

According to the First Lady, it was equally created in 2003 the National Commission against AIDS and the Great Endemic Diseases that was placed under the direction of the Angolan Chief of State, José Eduardo dos Santos.

She informed that programs to cut Vertical Transmission in 29 existing services in hospitals and health centres were implemented, the counselling and tests network was going from 11 units in 2004 to 211 in 2008, 114 of which of counselling to pregnant women.

This way, she mentioned, it was possible to keep a seropositivity prevalence around 2.1%, a rate very inferior rate to the Angolan neighbouring countries, with 104,314 women living with the virus and 58,510 orphans of ancestors with AIDS.

In what concerns the seroprevalence in pregnant women she declared that it is estimated in 3,1%. To improve the reproductive health the network of childbirth rooms was increased all over the country as well as the formation from obstetricians and midwives.

However, she informed, the number of patients undergoing medical treatment went from 2085 in 2004 to 17,079 in 2008, there are also 39,437 being monitored.

“This work has been possible with the support of civil society organizations as well as of international partners”, emphasized.

In what respects the combat of malaria, that continues to be the main cause of mortality of children less than five year old, she referred that a program of integrated assistance to children diseases was started, including the distribution of mosquito-nets impregnated with insecticide and the intermittent treatment of malaria during pregnancy.

Ana Paula Dos Santos expressed her gratefulness to the United States of America (U.S.A.) for the support that they have given Angola in the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria, in the scope of Program PMI (Presidential Malaria Initiative), from which the country was part of the group of the pilot states.

As to the role of education in the improvement of the population health, the First Lady of Angola said that have been created numerous schools infrastructures all over the country, being school mandatory until 8th grade.

Concomitantly, the programs of Water for All and construction of a million of houses in next the four years, Ana Paula said that these challenges were assumed by the Angolan Government in the scope of the policy of fighting against poverty and improvement of the populations’ life conditions.

In the presentation of the panel on  Leadership for the health in the African continent, presented by the first ladies of Cape-Verde, Kenya, Zambia and for the queen of the Swaziland, the participants presented the reality of their countries in areas as education, health and the policies traced to  improve their functioning, aiming to fulfil the Millennium objectives.

Regarding health, the participants were unanimous in affirming that the maternal-infantile mortality rates, the indexes of people infected with the HIV/AIDS are being reduced, due to the policiess of their respective governments.

Another panel subject was the “Maternal Health: the Keystone of the Millennium Development Goals”, presented by the First Ladies of Nigeria, Tanzania and presided by the activist Sarah Brown.

Along with the Summit, the First Lady of Angola, Ana Paula Dos Santos, granted hearings, in Los Angeles, to the presidents of the Oil Company Chevron Africa-Latin America, Ali Moshiri, and of the US Doctors for Africa, Ted M. Alemayhu, where common interest questions were approached.

The Summit approached, equally, the implementation state of the initiatives arising from the previous edition in the areas of education and health, promotion of new partnerships with U.S.A. philanthropic agencies and foundations.

The identification of viable actions and programs for the next years, in the direction of reaching the UN Millennium Development Goals, in what concerns the goals established until 2015 on maternal-infantile health and HIV/AIDS were also in analysis.

The event was a joint organization of the African Synergy against AIDS (is a non-governmental organisation comprising First Ladies from Africa and other continents) and of the US Doctors for Africa (institution of African right that congregates African and North American medical communities in the fight against the HIV/AIDS and other endemic diseases).

During the meeting, the First Ladies counted with the presence of numerous guests such as Sarah Brown, wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the First Lady of California State, Maria Shriver, wife of the actor Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger and some Hollywood celebrities among actors and TV presenters.

The participants watched a video where the former-First Lady of U.S.A., Laura Bush, praises the initiative of the US Doctors for Africa in carrying through the Summit.

The Angolan delegation to the event integrated the First-Lady of the Republic, Ana Paula Dos Santos, the minister of the Health, Jose Van-Dúnem, the Angola ambassador in the United States of America (U.S.A.), Josefina Pitra Diakite and the general consul in Houston, Simão Pedro