Southern Africa: Angola Chairs SADC-PF Standing Committee On Human and Social Development

20 May 2026
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Luanda — Angolan MP, Luisa Damião was elected president of the Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes (HSDSP) of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum for the 2026-2028 term.

According to a note from the National Assembly to which ANGOP had access, the election took place during the Session of the Standing Committees of the regional organization held in Johannesburg.

The Angolan parliamentarian replaces MP from the Kingdom of Lesotho, Mope Khati.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

In her acceptance speech, Luisa Damião presented the main lines of the work program she intends to implement at the helm of the Committee, focused on strategic priorities for Southern Africa.

The politician highlighted the need to strengthen health funding in SADC member states for countries to meet the target set by the Abuja Declaration, which recommends allocating at least 15 percent of the national budget to the health sector.

She highlighted the importance of creating innovative financing mechanisms, including sustainable fiscal policies, with a view to reducing the burden borne by families in accessing medical care.

In the area of Sexual and Reproductive Rights (SRHR), the MP considered it an essential pillar for promoting gender equality, warning of the negative impact that the limitation of these services continues to have on women and girls in the region.

Luísa Damião also expressed concern about the persistence of epidemics and other health threats, advocating for the strengthening of national health systems for a more effective response.

The program presented included the economic empowerment of women, focusing on eliminating economic barriers, increasing financial literacy and expanding access to digital services and technologies.

The Angolan MP concluded her intervention by calling for increased cooperation among the members of the Committee, with the aim of ensuring that the resolutions approved in the plenary assemblies produce concrete impacts on the lives of the populations of the region.

Read the original article on ANGOP.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2026 Angola Press Agency. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.