Algeria to invest 20 billion ... for health between 2009 and 2025

Algeria plans investments of 20 billion euros between 2009 and 2025 to remedy the decaying hospitals saturated, increasing its health infrastructure and modernize its health system, said Wednesday to the AFP an official of the Ministry of Health.

•     "The management of health for the period 2009-2025 provides for investments of 20 billion euros for the construction of new health facilities and the modernization of existing hospitals," said the communication official at the Ministry of Health, Slim Belkessam.
  
      The program, which is funded by the State, aims to double, in 2025, the rate of beds per population which currently stands at 1.7 per 1,000, said Belkessam.
  
      "We'll build new hospitals, new anti-cancer centres, and maternity homes, close old hospitals and provide better coverage throughout the country," said Belkessam.
  
      Algeria wants to be prepared to cope with the increase in no communicable diseases such as cancer (30,000 new cases per year), hypertension or heart disease, which dominate today, he said.
  
      Non communicable diseases now represent 70% of causes of death against 20% twenty years ago, says Belkassem.
  
      "The scheme for Health 2009-2025 has been prepared on the basis of this epidemiological transition that leads to the predominance of no communicable diseases on those diseases, he said.
  
      Algeria has also launched in 2005 a five-year program of public investment of three billion euros for the construction of new health infrastructure, said Belkessam.
  
      
  Ennaharonline/ M. O.