São Tomé and Príncipe health minister addresses system deterioration

São Tomé and Príncipe’s Health Minister, Celso Matos, has acknowledged the country’s poor performance in the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG), which ranked the nation as having the second-highest deterioration in the health sector over the last decade.

Matos clarified that the decline reflects data from 2016 to 2025, noting that the current administration has only been in office for two years. He stated that while certain parameters have regressed, there has been stabilization in 2025 and improvements in specific areas.

Key progress includes a reduction in malaria cases, which dropped from over seven thousand in 2024 to between four and five thousand in 2025. The minister also highlighted positive results in controlling HIV and improving access to primary healthcare through the expansion of medical staff in various districts.