Luanda — The rate of maternal mortality in Angola dropped from 1,400 out of 100,000 born-alive infants in 2001 to about 600, Angop learned Friday in Luanda.

The information was supplied by the vice president of Angola, Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, who mentioned data recently released by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Fernando da Piedade was addressing the closing of the Forum on District Health System that opened Thursday in Luanda.

According to him, despite the drop in figures, there is still a long way towards a sustainable reduction.

With effect, he said, the reduction of maternal and infant mortality is not an exclusive concern for Angola as, he added, the matter was deeply discussed at the Summit of African Heads of State and Government held in Kampala, Uganda, in July this year.

As he said, the meeting recommended an additional effort from each member State of the African Union, in marshalling financial and human resources to improve the situation.

He said the Angolan Government has defined health as one of the priorities of the social sector, as it affects all human activity and the economic and social development of the country.

The vice president mentioned that the social sector has over the last few years been receiving a special attention, with an increase in funds from the State Budget.

The official said the main purpose of the Government is to reduce as much as possible the figures, in line with the millennium development goals that set the reduction of infant mortality by 2/3 and maternal death rate to ¾ until 2015.

The meeting was attended by officials from the Ministries of Health, Family and Women Promotion, Territory Administration, Education, Finance, district administrators and social partners.