Publication site : National Directorate of Planning, Ministry of Finance
Date of publication : June 2021
Type of publication : Report
Quality health
The COVID-19 pandemic substantially expanded the role of the State and the health emergency took its place at the center of priorities, involving an essential part of public structures, and in particular, of the National Health System, civil protection and the public safety system, but also of civil society organizations. In line with best international practices, Cabo Verdean authorities mobilized society, municipalities, the business sector, NGOs and development partners to fight the pandemic and especially to preserve the health and life of Cabo Verdeans and to prepare for the recovery of tourism and the internal and international mobility necessary for the recovery of economic growth.
With the onset of the pandemic, Cabo Verdean authorities reoriented budget priorities, interrupting fiscal consolidation and the reduction of public debt and amending the 2020 budget to reinforce the National Health System in an amount equivalent to about 5% public expenditure in order to meet the primary priority of saving lives, including the reinforcement of budget allocations for the adaptation of NHS structures, medicines, the reinforcement of human resources, protection and life insurance, actions to strengthen the health response to COVID-19, prevention and combat, capacity building and decentralization of the Virology Laboratory, and henceforth the start of vaccination to cover 70% of the population in 2021 and the population as a whole in 2022.
The pandemic has tested the capacities and resilience of the national health system and the mobilization of Cabo Verdean society and development partners for health. However, in addition to these emerging challenges, others persist, such as improving access to healthcare, promoting equity, the prevalence of non-communicable diseases, the involvement of diaspora professionals and specialists, the reinforcement of human resources and their continuous capacity building, and especially the increase in the participation of the private sector in this field.
The maternal mortality rate increased considerably in 2019, reaching 105.5 per 100,000 live births
The maternal mortality rate increased considerably in 2019, reaching 105.5 per 100,000 live births, the highest level ever recorded and well above the average (37.6 per 100,000) of the last 4 years, and more than double the level reached in 2017, when it stood at 47.2 per 100,000 live births.
In 2019, infant mortality rate reached 15.6 per 1,000 live births, a slight increase of about 0.5 percentage points above the 2015 level, after significant improvements in 2018, when it reached 14.6 per 1,000 live births. Thus, the survival of children under 5 years did not improve. The Early Neonatal Mortality Rate has decreased slightly, settling in 2019 at 7.2 deaths per 1,000 live births, or about 0.9 percentage points below the 2015 level, while late neonatal mortality worsened, reaching, in 2019, 3.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, about 1.4 percentage points above 2015. However, in Cabo Verde, both neonatal and infant mortality are at levels below the SDG target and it is considered that the country may, well before 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 1 year of age.
In 2019, there were 62.5 new cases of HIV infection per 100,000 inhabitants, down from 2015 when 74.9 new cases of infection were registered
In 2019, there were 62.5 new cases of HIV infection per 100,000 inhabitants, down from 2015 when 74.9 new cases of infection were registered, but especially from the previous year when it worsened, with 92.4 being registered. According to the IDSR III, the seroprevalence rate for HIV1 in the 15- to 49-year-old population is 0.4%, standing at 0.6% among women and 0.2% among men. When HIV2 is included, the seroprevalence rate stands at 0.6%, with 0.7% among women and 0.4% among men. Most of the new cases reported in 2019 belong to the 25-49 age group (average of 12.2%), a stage in which people are more sexually active, but this trend does not differ from 2015.
The tuberculosis incidence rate has decreased, from 47 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015 to 35 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2019. There is a marked trend towards a reduction in incidence and, if this continues, Cabo Verde has a high likelihood of reaching the SDG target, which is to eliminate tuberculosis as a public health problem in 2030 (Incidence rate < 10/100,000 inhabitants). Furthermore, there has been no shortage of medicine to treat tuberculosis cases in the country.
The malaria incidence rate ranged between 0.09 and 0.14 for every 1,000 inhabitants in the 2015-2016 period, but in 2017 there was a considerable increase in malaria cases and, consequently, an increase in the incidence rate to 0.83 per 100 inhabitants. However, thanks to prevention measures, no autochthonous cases have been registered since 2018, which is one of the criteria for certifying the elimination of malaria as a public health problem in Cabo Verde.
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