Luanda — Angola is participating from the 18th to the 23rd of the current month in Geneva, Switzerland, in the seventy-ninth World Health Assembly, which aims to discuss health emergencies, international health priorities, and global health policies.
According to a Ministry of Health's press release sent to ANGOP on Monday (18), Angola is participating in the event with a delegation headed by the Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta.
The document highlights that in an international context marked by the increase in health emergencies, financing challenges, and debates on universal health coverage, Angola seeks to consolidate its position as an active partner in public health policies in Africa and strengthen its diplomatic influence with the main multilateral institutions.
It adds that sources linked to the Assembly's backstage admit that Angolan participation could open doors to new commitments of technical and financial cooperation with strategic international partners, at a time when the country is accelerating structural reforms in the health sector.
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Angola's presence at this World Health Assembly is seen, in diplomatic circles, as a strategic opportunity to strengthen international alliances, attract funding, and consolidate the country's position in major global debates on public health.
It notes that during the mission, Angola will participate in high-level interactive debates and hold bilateral meetings with partners such as GAVI, UNICEF, UNITAID, and the Global Fund, aiming to mobilize support for priority programs of the National Health System.
Cooperation between Angola and the World Health Organization has focused on areas such as combating malaria, cholera, polio, tuberculosis, and measles, vaccination campaigns, epidemiological surveillance, maternal and child health, training of personnel, and strengthening primary care.
The Angolan delegation includes officials from the Health sector, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has the direct support of the Permanent Mission of Angola in Geneva.
It emphasizes that despite the progress made in recent years, the country continues to face significant structural challenges, particularly in the fight against malaria, reducing maternal and infant mortality, and expanding access to medical care in rural areas.
The statement notes that Angola previously prepared its participation through a technical consultation meeting held on Jan 9th in Luanda, aimed at defining the national priorities now being presented in Geneva.
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The event brings together heads of government delegations, experts, multilateral partners, and international agencies linked to the health sector.
Sílvia Lutucuta, who arrived in Geneva on Sunday (17), was received by the Permanent Representative of Angola to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in that Swiss city, Ana Maria de Oliveira, who held a strategic alignment meeting on the main issues that Angola intends to defend during the Assembly's work.
