Angola: Senior Health Official Calls for States' Cooperation On Fight Against Drugs

Luanda — The secretary of State for Public Health, Carlos Pinto de Sousa, defended, on Monday (09) in Vienna, Austria, effective multilateral cooperation, trust between States and active involvement of communities in the fight against drugs, given the complex and transnational nature of the phenomenon.

According to a note from the Ministry of Health, speaking at the 69th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which runs from the 9th to the 13th of the current month in Vienna, the secretary of State emphasized that the fight against drugs is a common and shared mission.

He added that currently no State is exempt from the problems and damage caused by drugs to the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities, as well as to the Nations' security and sustainable development.

Angola reaffirmed its alignment with the 2019 Declaration, the 2024 mid-term review, and the corresponding action plan, emphasizing primary health care and prevention at all levels, within the framework of the three United Nations Conventions on Drug Control.

It highlighted the implementation of frequent awareness campaigns in schools, communities, and the workplace, with the aim of reducing stigma and other forms of discrimination.

Carlos Pinto de Sousa stressed that the central role of social determinants in prevention, treatment, and social reintegration, contributing to more humane and sustainable solutions.

He also spoke about recent legislative advances, namely the approval of Law No. 12/25 on the Special Regime for the Prohibition of the Provision and Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages, which reinforces the coordinated action of the competent authorities, including the Criminal Investigation and Customs Services, as well as the technical teams in the preparation of future laws regulating synthetic drugs and tobacco.

The official reiterated the commitment of the Angolan State to the inspection of the entry and exit of products, safeguarding the security and well-being of communities, as well as in the intensification of actions to inspect and dismantle clandestine structures.

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