Luanda: The Implementation Unit of the Human Resources for Health Capacity Building Project (UIP-PFRHS) announced on Tuesday that Angola remains committed to improving chronic wound treatment through strengthened institutional cooperation and promoted capacity-building initiatives in this area.

According to Angola Press News Agency, standardized training is a key strategy for improving the quality of care and clinical outcomes. The note, resulting from a meeting between the UIP-PFRHS and the Angolan Association of Nursing in Wound and Ostomy Treatment (AAETFO), identifies pressure injuries, diabetic wounds, vascular wounds, and ostomies as priorities.

It adds that the meeting emphasized the urgent need to empower healthcare professionals to address the impact of chronic and complex wounds, which are associated with an increased hospital stay, an increased risk of infection, preventable amputations, and high costs for the Unified Health System (SUS).

The initiative falls within the objectives of the Human Resources in Health Training Project (PFRHS), which aims to train approximately 80% of the estimated 38,000 healthcare professionals in the country across various specialties. It stresses that discussions were held regarding ongoing training for nursing professionals at the basic and specialized levels, with a focus on the prevention, assessment, and treatment of chronic and complex wounds.

The participants considered pressure injuries, diabetic wounds, vascular wounds, and ostomy wounds as priorities and take into account the use of new technologies, including therapeutic lasers, innovative healing products, and updated clinical protocols. In closing, the parties reaffirmed their commitment to deepening institutional cooperation, emphasizing that continuously qualifying nursing professionals is crucial to improving the quality of care and the health system's response to the needs of the Angolan population.

The document also announced a pilot training program for approximately 40 nurses on the 15th of this month at the Josina Machel Hospital in Luanda. The six-hour training will be in-person and online and will include discussions of clinical cases and practical demonstrations.

The training team will consist of Angolan doctors Jorge Morais and Judith Luacute, as well as Brazilian professor Graziella Porrezan. Belton Chicato will coordinate the training, which is organized by AAETFO.