Although Angola has one of the most expensive cities to live in in the world, the standard of healthcare is actually very poor. WHO rank Angola as being one of the 10 worst countries for healthcare, based on the population’s health and healthcare system that exists.
Main risks
Life expectancy is estimated at 51 years, and Angola has some of the highest mortality rates in the world. The main disease that plagues the country is Malaria which is the main cause of death, disease and absenteeism. Malaria is a particularly large problem for children under five years old.
The HIV/AIDS rate is actually the lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has, however, been increasing since the end of the civil war. With the reopening of borders, refugees are returning to Angola and trade and travel is rising. There is a 2% HIV rate, which is relatively low in comparison to other Sub-Saharan countries.
There has been an outburst of polio in recent years, but the government has made vast improvements to try and prevent the transmission of the disease across the country.
Diarrheal disease is also a major problem. Angola is reported as having the highest level in the world. This has been the main health issue for expats, and can be avoided by consuming water and food with care. It is recommended to drink water that has been boiled and then cooled.
A full list of the health risks in Angola should be checked to check expats are properly informed.
Healthcare funding and doctors
The funding for healthcare is different in Angola to other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Funding is not received from donors. Instead, 80% of health expenditure comes from the public sector, however the level of health expenditure is still very low. In 2010, health expenditure was only 2.9% of GDP.
Another issue in Angola is the lack of Angolan doctors available to provide medical attention. In 2012, it was estimated that there are only 2 doctors for every 10,000 people. This is due to many Angolan doctors emigrating to work in richer countries. In 2008, it was estimated that 70% of Angolan doctors had left Angola. It has been reported that there are actually more Angolan doctors in any given foreign country than on home ground. As a point of interest, there has in recent years been a rising number of Cuban doctors migrating to Angola, as they are enticed by the high salaries. Around 800 Cuban doctors are currently working in Angola, whilst Angolan medical students are sent to Cuba to complete their medical training.
At a World Health Organization meeting in 2012, Angola’s Vice President Manuel Vicente stated that there is a plan from 2013-2020 to fill the gap in medical staff and improve the healthcare service drastically. He announced, “We need to persistently improve quality and ensure equity in universal access to integrated health services by all citizens, without exception, throughout their life cycle.”