Following the mission to support the implementation of the Health Security Project in West and Central Africa (HeSP), Health Minister Lúcio Fernandes met with the World Bank team on Monday, August 31, for a coordination meeting on the project’s implementation in Cape Verde.

The purpose of the meeting was to review the progress of activities, identify key constraints, and find solutions to accelerate implementation and ensure results that make a difference in people’s lives.

During the meeting, the Minister of Health presented his guidelines for implementing the project, emphasizing the need to strengthen coordination among teams and to designate a focal point within the Ministry of Health to facilitate the coordination and monitoring of activities. The importance of integrating and training new personnel involved in the project was also discussed, in order to ensure the continuity of the work.

The strengthening of specialized human resources in the health sector was also discussed. The Minister expressed concern about the need for specialists in the sector and advocated for investment in training and specialization to address existing needs.

The project’s areas of focus include strengthening health infrastructure, improving conditions at health centers and other health facilities, and ensuring the availability and proper storage of equipment. The preparation of the 2027 activity plan was also discussed, taking into account the priorities of the health sector in Cape Verde.

World Bank representative Indira Campos, together with the team responsible for monitoring the project in Cape Verde, emphasized the importance of assessing existing challenges and, in collaboration with national authorities, defining measures that will help improve implementation and ensure that the expected benefits reach the beneficiaries.

The World Bank’s chief economist and mission leader, André Carletto, emphasized the importance of promoting transformative interventions in the sector and underscored the relevance of the “One Health” approach, which takes an integrated view of human, animal, and environmental health.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, the World Bank, the Special Projects Management Unit (UGPE), and the National Planning Directorate (DNP).