Mission Angola

The civil war which lasted twenty-seven years is making the democratic process a
delicate one, even if the signing of peace agreements and ending of hostilities have
led to better prospects for international assistance, especially that aimed at children.
52% of children show signs of malnutrition and the illiteracy rate (58%) is one of the
highest in Africa. The aftermath of war and drought, especially in Huambo province
and part of Bie province, are not helping to improve one of the most difficult situations.

Treating moderate malnutrition
North, Huambo province (Mungo and Bailundo towns)

Activities: As in 2005/6, the operation in Mungo involves:

• running, in conjunction with the WFP, a permanentsupplementary feeding centre and two mobile centres(providing curative care, vaccinations and nutritional support);
• supporting the town's primary healthcare structures (staffmanagement, supplying drugs, vaccinations and supplies).In Bailundo, the project focuses mainly on:
• support for Bailundo Ministry of Health's permanent supplementary feeding centre;
• staff training;
• curative care.

Outlook:
The outlook for 2006 is identical in part to that for 2005.MdM is continuing to transfer specific renutrition structures to the Ministry of Health by integrating them with existing health structures. The monthly assessment of activities with the Mungo health structures through the involvement of the mother and child health (MCH) nurses from the Huambo province mother and child health programme will also be included amongst the activities for 2006.

Mother and child health
North, Huambo province (Mungo and Bailundo towns)
Activities : We are continuing to develop the current integrated mother and child health (MCH) programmein partnership with the local network of traditional midwives and MCH nurses within the peripheral health structures of the north of the province and in the referral hospital at Bailundo. 2005 has seen the continuation of these activities set up by MdM when the project started:

• monitoring the network of MCH nurses supervising all the traditional midwives;
• supervision of paediatric consultations and the vaccination programme;
• training in prevention and treatment of the main STIs;
• family planning;
• structural support and recycling of staff from the maternity unit to the Bailundo referral hospital;
• renovation of an operating theatre, training a theatre medical team, training doctors in emergency surgery techniques.

Outlook:
Continue to gradually increase the quality of peripheral actions and ensure their longterm continuity. Training and support of Angolan medical staff remain important aspects which will allow them, in the longer term, to move towards efficient autonomy. Soins pour les enfants des rues.

Lobito town, Benguela province
Care for street children
Activities:
To increase the efficiency of the care given to street children and their access to it, MdM is continuing its activities
which include:

• building, equipping and supplying a health centre with drugs conjunction with the local authorities;
• agreements have been made with local hospitals to deal with more serious diseases, with the objective of letting street children access the Angolan health system by themselves;
• six street educators are responsible for making a list of all the street children, making contacts with their living places and carrying out surveys in order to plan joint activities with partners working more specifically in the education and professional training of street children. The possibility of envisaging a process of family reintegration has to be assessed with each child.

Outlook:
Continue the process of complete autonomy for the health centre, and best management of all health care for street children at the
health centre or in the hospitals.

July 2006