title: [Characteristics of the medical workforce in the Province of Cabinda, Angola].
abstract: This article presents the results of a study on the public health system's medical workforce in the Province of Cabinda, Angola. The objective was to study the characteristics of medical personnel, seeking to help define strategies to expand access and improve quality of care. The study covered the period from 2001 to 2004 and used secondary data, semi-structured interviews with health professionals, direct observation, and comparison with the literature. Quality of medical care in Cabinda was low, with one physician per 3,356 inhabitants. There were communities with more than 35,000 inhabitants and not a single physician. Working conditions were poor, and physicians suffered from low motivation. The study concluded that formulation and implementation of policies envisioning improvements in the management of medical professionals in the sector could help enhance the quality of care in the Province, but it would require involvement by relevant actors and additional research on the other health professions.
authors.affiliation: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Miguel Dos Santos de
authors.initials: Mdos S
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Artmann
mesh_terms: D000810:Angola; D005550:Foreign Medical Graduates / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006285:Health Planning; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D009042:Motivation; D009313:National Health Programs; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D011787:Quality of Health Care