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| Angola and Namibia health professionals |
Angola and Namibia health professionals had a three-day assessment meeting to address the epidemiological profile of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in the border region between the two countries, having recommended strengthened surveillance to reduce mortality rates.
According to the final communiqué of the meeting held in
Calai Municipality (south-eastern Cuando Cubango Province), the participants
recommended the involvement of the government of both countries, intervention
campaigns, including health inspectors and security teams in the border region.
"We also recommend that the border municipalities
should hold quarterly meetings to exchange experience and share data on all
diseases, with an emphasis on tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS among citizens of the
two countries", the statement said.
The two sides agreed to hold the next meeting in June 2024
in the Kavango west region, Republic of Namibia, as part of the implementation
of the joint cooperation mechanisms.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Calai administrator, Adélia
Samuel, praised the initiative, having stressed the importance of sharing data
on the epidemiological situation of the two regions to strengthen the
intervention capacity of health professionals.
"All together we will leave health systems better prepared
and free from endemic diseases, epidemics and even pandemics such as
HIV/AIDS", Samuel said.
The three-day event was promoted by the governments of the
two countries attended by 80 health sector professionals from Cuando Cubango
Province (Angola) and the Namibian provinces Kavango East and Kavango West.
The health experts discussed the epidemiological situation
between the two countries and the main problems facing the common border, with
the aim to improve medical assistance to the populations. MSM/JSV/MCN/Amp/jmc