Country Situation
When the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe became independent in 1975, each of the plantations, or roças had basic health facilities. Despite this enormous level of infrastructure health indicators remained poor and following independence almost all of the trained health workers left. Initially the government put into place an extensive health programme by building hospitals and training personnel, which thus allowed dramatic improvements in health indicators. With the 1980s came a period characterised by economic crisis, and the money available for the health sector became severely restricted, with visible effects on the health of the population. As economic difficulties continue the country is now searching for a sustainable system of health that will allow for positive indicators to be protected, and that will continue to ensure that health services are available for all.
