Angola Health Insurance

Angola's 13.3 million inhabitants currently find themselves in a time of transition. After the end of a 27 year long civil war with a death toll of over half a million and crippling effects on the government and the lives of average citizens alike. What most want now is peace and the opportunity for prosperity for their future. Currently the sub-Saharan African nation is ranked 166th out of 177 countries by the United Nation's Human Development Index and the per capita income is about $740 (US), with over a third of the population surviving on only 70 cents per day. This is truly telling of the inequality of the dispersal of funds available in the potentially very wealth county as its two leading exports, diamonds and petroleum, are both extremely valuable and abundant within the country. The high income has the potential to finance a massive improvement initiative in healthcare, education, social welfare, and infrastructure and while conditions have certainly improved compared to war-times, changes are still too slow in coming for many and political protests reflect the feelings of dissatisfaction.

Angola’s Healthcare and Insurance System

Angola is certainly not immune to the problems endemic to other sub-Saharan African countries and insect-borne disease, malnutrition, high infant and maternal mortality rates, and HIV/AIDS (as many refugees have returned home they brought the dreaded disease with them) are all major contributors to the generally poor health of the average Angolan. Currently about 60 percent of child deaths are attributed to respiratory infections, diarrhea, malaria, measles, and tetanus which are easily treatable and preventable. These are strong indicators of the lack of even basic medical attention that most experience because outside of major urban centers, healthcare centers are very scarce and typically very limited in their abilities. Another major challenge to the health and safety of Angola is the presence of land-mines left over from the war that continue to kill or maim with regularity.

Some efforts for improvement have been made in the last few years, mostly with regard to improving vaccinations and health education regarding AIDS and contraceptive use, but the general health is still poor and the average life expectancy is appallingly low at only 40 years. The average education is extremely basic, which leaves a very small skilled labor force to implement new policies and initiatives for improvement and therefore little medical staff available to administer care. Recently, more schools and universities are being built and sponsored with hopes of changes for the better, and with about half of the population under the age of 15 the potential for quick improvement is evident.

The public health care sector is primarily composed of badly neglected and poorly equipped hospitals that were constructed prior to the start of the war, along with insufficient staffing and poor access to many pharmaceuticals and supplies, their ability to treat patients is extremely limited. The majority of clinics and health centers that are very loosely dispersed through out the country are much the same. The World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders, and UNAIDS along with some other charitable aid groups are providing some much needed relief to the health of the general populace. Additionally, the Angolan government has recently recruited doctors from Cuba who are well trained and experienced to staff and oversee some of the care given in Angola, which has raised the standard of care significantly, but more is still needed. Persons visiting from other countries, even many still developing countries, will find the conditions of these facilities to be lacking and may not be able to get treatment for even some basic ailments. The best bet in public health care is to go to the the Hospital Josina Machel in the capitol city of Luanda. While not modern by any means, it is largely held as the best option if a foreigner or expatriate is in need of medical care and presently unable to travel outside Angola to receive it.

Due to disparity in the spread of wealth, a small number of Angolans have more than sufficient funding to receive decent treatment, and to serve these persons a private medical industry has sprouted that is much better equipped, staffed, and funded than its public counterpart. Most large urban centers have some form of private hospital or clinic, though Luanda is the best place to look for this type of care as it offers the widest range of outlets. Numerous general practitioners and specialist offer care in Angola, and while the facilities are more basic than most westerners are used to, common treatments usually present little problem, and most of the larger clinics and hospitals can offer emergency care. More serious or complicated conditions will almost invariable require transport to South Africa or Nigeria for treatment, and due to distance and road conditions it is done by air ambulance, at cost to the patient. Because the cost of private care is unregulated, it is wise to ensure an agreed upon price prior to treatment whenever possible. All foreigners will be expected to pay cash at the time of treatment, both public and private, and for this reason it is advisable to consider an Angola traveler's health insurance plan to avoid any potential problems due to lack of financing.

Angola Medical Insurance Concerns

Currently no national Angola health insurance scheme exists, and all care for locals is either paid for privately or given free of charge by charitable organizations. Public healthcare facilities are typically quite crowded and limited in ability to provide care and while private offerings are better, they are often expensive. For these reasons, most foreign countries' advisory boards recommend a comprehensive Angola expatriate health insurance package or international medical insurance plan for all travelers visiting Angola. It is also wise to seriously consider purchase of air ambulance evacuation and emergency repatriation coverage, as the cost of these services, should they be required, is astronomical while coverage is usually very affordable and several companies offer the service for Angola.

Angola Travel Insurance Information

The national language of Angola is Portuguese, though most Angolans speak a local African dialect as well. English is not widely spoken though some doctors and medical staff have a basic vocabulary. It is often best to take a translator if possible when going to hospital. Crime is rampant in Angola, and while terrorism is not a major threat, muggings, robbery, and theft are common. Passport and credit card fraud is a growing crime as well. Police officers are usually assigned to a specific area for patrol so should a crime be committed, they do not frequently arrive to investigate as most cannot leave their post. Crimes should be reported to the nearest police station personally, as soon as possible after they occur, it is also wise to report it to your nation's consulate or embassy. Angolan authorities require that all foreigners carry documentation at all times, it is therefore best to carry a notarized copy of your passport and travel visa everywhere you go.

Sanitation and clean water are very rare in Angola. Estimates say that only about 60 percent of Luanda has running water and only a quarter have flush toilets, rural areas are much worse. Open sewers are common, even in city centers. Everyone should boil, filter, or chemically treat all water before drinking and fastidious hygiene should be practiced to avoid illness from exposure to human waste. As communicable disease is widespread, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccination against childhood diseases and against polio, malaria, hepatitis A and B, tetanus, rabies, typhoid, and yellow fever. Per government regulation, all visitors over age one must present a vaccination card for yellow fever prior entrance into the country.

Angola Expat Medical Insurance

There are some very real health risks associated with travel to Angola. Expat Medical Insurance has Angola Health Insurance plans that can help to insulate you, your family, travel group, or company from some of the danger by providing the level of coverage that best fits your needs. Angola Expatriate Medical Insurance is comprehensive and affordable and your safest choice when you require medical attention in Angola. Additionally, we offer Worldwide Medical Insurance that can protect you anywhere you travel. Our International Health Insurance Experts will assist you at no charge to select the plan that is right for you.