The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that Angola is strategically positioned to access the $500 million (approximately €441 million) available in the Pandemic Fund to improve its national public health system.
In a statement, the WHO said that the Pandemic Fund currently holds $500 million and that Angola is “strategically positioned” to secure resources that will “transform the national public health system,” with a focus on prevention, early detection, and effective response to health emergencies.
According to the WHO, this week the main activities for Angola’s national proposal to the Pandemic Fund were outlined. The Fund is a global initiative aimed at strengthening outbreak and health emergency response capacities in low- and middle-income countries.
The WHO representative in Angola, Indrajit Hazarika, quoted in the statement, expressed strong confidence that Angola has an excellent opportunity to obtain funding in this round, significantly strengthening its health emergency response capabilities.
The plan focuses on three priority areas: early warning systems and disease surveillance, human and animal laboratory capacities, and the strengthening of human resources and community engagement, in both rural and urban settings.
In terms of surveillance and early warning, Angola aims to strengthen both community and institutional capacity through the training of community health agents and rapid response teams, the implementation of digital health information systems, and the creation of event-based surveillance mechanisms, with a focus on human and zoonotic diseases with epidemic potential.
Regarding the laboratory component, the proposal includes reinforcing diagnostic and surveillance capacities, including technician training, strengthening antimicrobial resistance surveillance, developing quality control programs, and more, the statement adds.
Source: Lusa
