From November 23-27, 2010, Angola played host to the Second African Inter-Ministerial Conference on Heath and Environment. The conference, which saw 46 ministers in attendance, was a significant event for the continent since it followed closely on the heels of the MDG (Millennium Development Goal) Review Summit, which took place in September.

At the end of the two days of deliberation, there was a clear mandate for African governments to give the issues of healthcare and sustainable environment practices serious priority in national budgets and policy decisions. With the adoption of the Luanda Declaration at the end of the conference, it was fairly evident that African governments could no longer deny the causal links or intersection between the environment and healthcare for communities and people across the continent.

The alignment of priorities to the MDGs 4,5,6 and 7 related to child health, maternal health, communicable diseases, and environmental sustainability captured the essence of what the conference symbolized.

With less than five years to go toward achieving the MDG goals and targets, it would seem that the continent's governments are beginning to realize the urgency associated with the MDGs. One of the critical recommendations from the conference that was agreed upon was to move toward a 15 percent allocation of government national budgets focused on heathcare issues. This has taken nine years for African health ministers to deliberate on since it was first mooted at the 2001 Heads of States meeting, which led to the adoption of the Abuja Declaration. The monitoring of the 15 percent allocation does mean that national health ministries must have effective and efficient checks and balances in place, not to mention the adoption of the appropriate capacity building measures, to ensure that the health care resources and interventions are being directed to the most needy and those that are at serious risk.

To this end, ministers resolved during the conference to complete the Situation Analyses and Needs Assessment (SANA) in all African countries and the preparation of National Plans of Joint Action by the end of 2012. So far SANA has been completed in 17 African countries. Moreover, in terms of the monitoring and evaluation procedures, it was also agreed that a Health and Environment Strategic Alliance (HESA) mechanism would be established, which will be aimed at stimulating policies in investment toward enhancing joint initiatives in health and environment interventions.

Clearly, then, the Luanda Declaration advocates a set of targeted interventions for African governments to become more focused and serious about addressing what is becoming alarming in the fight against human poverty and deprivation across the continent.

But as we contemplate these interventions and benchmarks, we must also recognize that these policy initiatives may become victim to bureaucratic red tape or as in some countries bogged down by blatant inertia. Furthermore, while we must applaud the 46 African ministers in showing their mettle and foresight, it is hard not to become cynical around whether allocating 15 percent of national budgets is enough to address healthcare issues.

And herein lies the challenge. But perhaps we should not throw the baby out with the bath water. In fact, what this second conference does provide us with certain benchmarks that African civil society actors engaged in social justice struggles around the healthcare and environment sectors must integrate into their advocacy and lobby agendas.

The only way the success of the Luanda Declaration can be measured is if social justice movements working in the various African countries start raising awareness of what the African ministers resolved to achieve and begin to hold their national governments accountable to these priorities.

Indeed, once there is national consciousness around how these measures need to be applied at the country level, then African social movements can ensure that the conference was not just a talk-shop for African bureaucrats to extend their political status in office.

However, until we start seeing the real dividends emerge, African civil society must remain vigilant about asking the awkward questions and shining the light in dark places and have their voices heard at the next conference of African ministers on health and environment issues.

(Sanusha Naidu is the Research Director of the Emerging Powers in Africa program based with Fahamu in South Africa)