Despite increase in health care spending in Angola, quality of care remains low

"Angola has tripled its spending on health care since 2006, but for the vast majority of Angolans who can't afford sparkling new private clinics -- or better yet, care abroad -- a trip to the hospital is still a nightmare," Agence France-Presse reports. "Despite its oil wealth, in 2006 Angola ranked ninth from the bottom in the world on health spending, which accounted for just 2.5 percent of gross domestic product. Since then, spending per person has tripled from $64 to $204, according to World Health Organization data," according to AFP.

"Yet Angola still has less than one doctor for every 10,000 people, while battling to eradicate preventable diseases like polio," the news service writes, noting that the country's "health care system collapsed during the 27-year civil war that ended in 2002." AFP adds, "Life expectancy remains low at 52, but is seven years longer than in 2005. During that time child mortality has steadily declined, and the number of babies receiving basic immunizations has roughly doubled" (10/3).