Malabo - Angolan Health minister, Jose Van-Dunem, Wednesday in Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), pointed out the strenghtening of first care and health services in the districts as key factors to achieving the Millenium Development Goals.  

Delivering the topic "Strenghtening health systems" during the 60th Conference of the Africa Committee of the World Health Organisation (WHO/AFRO), the minister stated that at district level tools should be given to administrators for the implementation of important health projects like drinkable water, environmental sanitation and access to health units.

He also stressed the importance of the communitary participation, namely the traditional and church leaders, and the creation of a district monitoring committees of maternal and child deaths, to be chaired by the administrators' spouse, giving them broader access to related decision making, at district level. 

To the Angolan minister, in order to be effective, these actions must have the necessary financing, stating that in Angola primary attention is fully financed by the State, in coordinated actions of the ministries of Finance and Territorial Administration, enabling to support health primary actions.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation's Regional director for Africa, Angolan Luis Gomes Sambo, considered the effectiveness of the organisation and administration of services at district levels depends, among other factors, on the competence and the number of members of district health teams, and also on good management of health centers in communities that will coordinate the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the provision of health services.