More than half of Angola's doctors will indefinitely continue a national strike over pay and conditions as the coronavirus pandemic's strains the African nation's depleted public health services, reports AFP.

Angola resorted to asking China and Cuba for help to fight the first Covid-19 wave last year, with more than 250 Cuban doctors arriving. According to 2020 figures, Angola has 5,200 doctors.

The country's national doctors' trade union said 3,000 of its members would “continue the national doctors' strike in all public health units” after the industrial action began at the start of the week.

The union is demanding a pay rise for doctors and an increase in benefits for wardens and those on on-call duty.