Luanda, 13 May 2024– The World Health Organization (WHO) participated in a workshop on Financing for the Sustainability of the National Health Service. The event was organised by the Angolan Ministry of Health (MINSA) and saw the participation of senior officials and technicians from MINSA, hospital managers, technical staff from the Ministry of Finance, and academics from the Faculty of Economics.

The WHO provided technical assistance and contributed to the workshop by sharing global knowledge and best practices. The collaboration between WHO and UNICEF Angola was highlighted, offering valuable insights into health policy financing with a focus on lessons learned and examples from other international contexts.

During the opening ceremony, the Minister of Health, Dr Sílvia Lutucuta, emphasised the importance of diversified funding for the National Health Service. She clarified that, in addition to the allocation from the General State Budget (OGE), 3.5% of the funding comes from donations, with the remainder from co-payments. Dr Lutucuta also announced that a multi-sectoral study is underway, involving the Ministries of Finance, Planning and Social Action, Family and Women's Promotion, the Faculty of Economics at Agostinho Neto University, the WHO, UNICEF, and the World Bank. The aim is to identify new financing models for the National Health Service.

During the workshop, hospital managers were briefed on the guidelines of the study project on hospital costs in Angola. They conducted a detailed analysis of hospital costs for decision-making and management of operational costs in the health sector.

Hospital managers had the opportunity to be trained in patient cost determination within Hospital Cost Management.

This workshop reinforced WHO's commitment to supporting Angola in strengthening its health system, providing technical assistance, and sharing effective recommendations that can be tailored to local needs.