High Mortality Rate in the Republic of Angola - Essay Example

? High mortality rate High mortality rate I have chosen to address the high adult and child mortality rate in the Republic of Angola. The basic reasons for my choice of Angola are partly because some of my relatives have been living in Angola for quite some times and partly because Angola is still in the early stages of rebuilding herself since the end of civil war in 2002 which lasted for 27 good years. This was a Fight between the (MPLA), People`s Movement for the Liberation of Angola, which was led by Jose DOS SANTOS, and the (UNITA), National Union for Total Independence of Angola, which was also led by Jonas SAVIMBI (James, 2004). Location The Republic of Angola is Southern African country and it borders the South Atlantic Ocean to the north. It`s between Democratic Republic of the Congo who is 2,511 km to the east and Namibia who is also 1,376 km to the south. Zambia is also 1,110 km away to the east of Angola (James, 2004). Population Angola population has grown for the past fifty years with a total population of 20.6 million people recorded by the year 2012. It hit an all time high of 20.60 Million by the 2012 which was a record low of 5.01 Million people in December of 1960. The population of this African country represents 0.28 percent of world?s total population. This may statistically imply that at least a person in every 355 people in the world is an Angolan. Angola experiences a population growth rate of 2.7 percent as revealed in 2012. It`s worth noting that Angola has numerous indigenous ethnic groups. However, there exist only three prominent ethnic groups who make up majority of the Angola population. The highest ethnic group is Ovimbundu tribe who make up 37 percent of the Angola population. Second in the rank is the Mbundu tribe who has also been existence for quite a long time. They represent about 22 percent of the population. Finally, the third largest ethnic group in Angola is the Bakongo. This group makes up to 13 percent to 15 percent of the country`s total population (James, 2004). Government The Republic of Angola administers the multiparty presidential regime type of government. There are a total of eighteen provinces in Angola which form part of administrative divisions in the country. Angola has never had any judicial review of the legislation. Their civil legal system is still based on the Portuguese civil law. The government is divided into three arms: 1. The executive arm. The president and his vice head the executive arm of government. The president is both the head of state and government. The country has ministries that are run by cabinet councils. The council of ministers is appointed by the president himself. The national assembly indirectly elects the president for a five year term but the president is still eligible for another consecutive term or discontinuous term. The 2010 constitution stipulates that votes are cast for parties not individuals but the leader of the party which will have more votes becomes the president. 2. Legislative arm. There is a unicameral National Assembly with 220 seats. Members are elected by a proportional vote to be in office for five year term. Elections are held every five years in Angola. 3. Judicial arm. There is a supreme court with Supreme Court judges but headed by the chief justice. This court has 11 judges who serve a seven term and are appointed by the president upon the Supreme Court judicial council recommendation. Out of this judges, the president and national assembly elect four judges each with two elected by the supreme national council and one judge elected by submission of curricula (James, 2004). Economy The economic growth rate in Angola in recent years was occasioned by high international prices for oil. Currently Angola is producing more than 1.5 million barrels a day for international market. Production of oil together with its supporting activities forms about 86% of gross domestic product, GDP, besides diamond exports which forms an additional 4%. Most of the people here depend on subsistence agriculture to support their livelihood yet Angola still export more than half of food production. The construction and agricultural sector received a boost during the post-war construction of buildings and replacement of displaced people. However, most of the Angola's infrastructure is still undeveloped after the war. Leftovers of land mines from the civil war are still evidenced in the countryside. Global recession in 2008 temporarily grounded economic growth. Low prices for diamond and oil during this recession hindered GDP growth in the following year. Angola had to abandon its currency peg during this time and signed into an International Monetary Fund, IMF Stand-By Arrangement loan worth $1.4 billion to rebuild the international reserves. This saw consumer inflation reduced to about 10 percent in 2012 from 325% in 2000. The last increase in oil prices have helped Angola covert a budget deficit of 8.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2009 to a surplus of 11 percent of gross domestic product in 2012 (James, 2004). State of health Angola is still struggling to stabilize its heath system and make health care accessible to every Angolan. Even though crude death rate has been declining since independence, infant mortality rate is still significantly high. A total of 83.53 infant deaths were recorded per every thousand live births in 2012, mostly female infant death. Life expectancy in Angola currently stands at 51.2. Over 82 percent of the rural population still has no access to improved sanitation facilities which make majority of the rural population vulnerable in terms of risk of getting diseases. Moreover, a considerable 14 percent of the urban population also suffers the same fate. HIV/AIDs, food and waterborne are some of the major diseases prevalent in Angola (James, 2004). Culture Angola, just as many African countries, preserves and adores their culture. These are the beliefs and traditions which define their identity. In Angola, using traditional medicine dates back to around 400 years, according to traditional medicine researcher, Fernandes Rosario. She discovered that most of these practices have originated from the primitive culture of Angola`s tribal communities known as the Bantu and Sam. Some of the herbal traditional medicines in Angola with the power to heal, as believed by the local Angolan people, are for instance: a certain tea from the Gipepe, Caxinde and Mbrututu root which does not require boiling water. This tea is ideal for a cure for hepatitis and there is a mix of lemon and honey is recommended for one with sore throats and flu (James, 2004). Healthcare System and Delivery Angolans who live in rural places of the country still have no access to medical facilities near them. Even though the bilateral agreements signed with Cuba which allowed more 780 Cuban medical personnel to work there, this country still has chronic shortages in medicines, facilities, pharmaceuticals and personnel. In 2004, the physician density was recorded at 0.08 physicians per thousand people. The government of Angola has since acknowledged that to improve their health services are the greatest challenges they face. Angolan Ministry of Health, MINSA, is charged with the provision of health services in the country. Recently, District Health Strategy were published to offer a new approach in assisting the poorest Angolan population and to render increased accessibility to the much sought general healthcare. Health service delivery in Angola is divided into three levels: tertiary, secondary and primary levels. This levels corresponded to the three levels of Angola government; the national, provincial and district. The current nursing and education system in Angola faces numerous challenges such as inadequate infrastructures and training personnel. Therefore, health education policies are needed to be introduced in Angola. Education institutions require further regulations and the nurses need to be recognized as key elements for the role they play in giving qualitative health services in Angola. This was evidenced when Angolan Association of Nurses held their fifth scientific activities central Huambo which was intended to enable exchange of ideas from other professionals increase the scientific and technical level of health services (James, 2004). Health Priorities Re-organizing logistics with equipment and disposable materials as well as encouraging partnerships with international organization is some of the priorities of Provincial Health Department. Besides, vaccination campaigns for polio eradication, tetanus and other prevalent diseases are also a priority. A network to care for the elderly people is also to be created. The fight of endemic diseases and attention to children and women so as to reduce maternal and child mortality besides focusing attention to cancer, diabetes, efficient use and redistribution of personnel were also priorities for 2013. Nursing Implications More nurses need to be deployed provincial health centers to offer training for expectant mothers on how to safely guard their pregnancy. The network of elderly people should include nurses to regularly visit and offer any needed health care service to them. Angola Association of Nurses should work closely with the Angola ministry of health to man power support to carry out a door to door vaccination campaign of polio and tetanus. References James, W. M. (2004). Historical Dictionary of Angola. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Pub. Group. Read More