By Ejekwu Chidiebere
The initiatives according to the Italian company include a three-year capacity building program for a minimum of 200 healthcare professionals and the development of a digital platform to improve hospital coordination in Luanda, intended to support societal needs in countries where the company operates. Eni Natural Energies (ENE) Angola and the Eni branch in the country said they have already signed two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Angolan Ministry of Health.
In a statement to Energy Window International (Media) by email, Eni said that the first MoU has to do with a new pediatric healthcare initiative which will focus on strengthening neonatal and pediatric intensive care services, while the second MoU covers the development of a digital interface to enhance coordination across hospitals in Luanda. Both projects Eni said will aim to improve healthcare quality and accessibility for patients across the country.
The initiative led by Eni Foundation will run for three years and focuses on reinforcing the response capacity of the Maternal and Child Hospital of Azancot in Luanda, establishing it as a key reference center for the metropolitan area and the provinces of Benguela, Huambo, and Huíla.
Silvia Lutucuta, Minister of Health of Angola, and Domenico Giani, President of Eni Foundation were in attendance to sign the agreement, in the presence of Filippo Uberti, General Secretary of Eni Foundation who is in charge of Health at Eni, João Maria da Silva, Managing Director of ENE Angola, and Manuela Mendes, Director of the Maternal and Child Hospital of Azancot.
Energy Window International (Media) gathered that the initiative was designed to improve the quality and accessibility of pediatric healthcare by investing in the professional development of healthcare workers at Azancot and across the provincial hospitals. “Through a comprehensive capacity building program, the project will provide targeted training for Angolan doctors, nurses, and diagnostic and therapeutic technicians, enabling them to deliver specialized care tailored to the needs of children.”
Training will be delivered both locally and internationally according to the statement. “Specialized professional health teams will conduct on-site training in Angola, while selected Angolan healthcare professionals will also receive advanced training in Italy.” “In addition, the project will integrate telemedicine components, including remote scientific support, second medical opinions, webinars, and teleconsultations, to ensure knowledge exchange and case-based learning.”
The program aims to train at least 200 healthcare professionals, including 50 doctors and 150 nurses, with a core group of over 20 participants undergoing a combined training experience in both Angola and Italy, Energy Window International (Media) learnt.
The project will deliver three key outcomes says Eni. It includes the enhancement of medical skills in neonatal and pediatric intensive care through high-quality on-the-job training; improved access to specialized neonatal, pediatric and cardiological care, supported also by the provision of medical equipment; and the strengthening of Azancot telemedicine capabilities to better serve local communities.
Eni says it is reaffirming its commitment to advancing health systems and improving the lives of children in Angola after the conclusion of the last project in the area of Xilamba Xiaxi in 2011 through the Foundation. The project is expected to directly benefit a broad network of healthcare professionals while indirectly serving the pediatric populations of Luanda, Benguela, Huambo, and Huíla, contributing to a more resilient and inclusive healthcare system across the country.
ENE Angola also signed a separate MoU to develop a digital interface connecting a network of hospitals in Luanda, in partnership with the Health Institute Giannina Gaslini of Genoa. The goal is to better balance hospital workloads and improve patients’ diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. “This initiative continues the work started in 2019, which focused on strengthening the public healthcare system through professional capacity building, and now expands its scope to include the broader pediatric hospital network in Luanda to help deliver better health outcomes for children.”