Luanda- 30 May 2022  - In 2019, of the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Angola, of among other aspects, recommended, the drafting of the National Health Security Action Plan (NHSAC) which is a multi-year country planning process, which can accelerate the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR).

In this regard, with the support of REDISSE 4, a meeting was held from 23 to 27 May 2022 at the LIDESS Resort, located in the province of Luanda. The general objective of the meeting was to prepare the final draft of the National Health Security Action Plan for Angola 2022-2026 and the Operational Plan 2022-2023. It should be noted that under the existing cooperation between WHO and REDISSE 4 in Angola and the constraints that REDISSE 4 faced in 2021, the initial drafting activities of the said Plan had the technical and financial support of WHO.

The activity was led by the National Directorate of Public Health, through the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiological Surveillance. The meeting was opened by Dr Eusébio Manuel, Head of the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiological Surveillance, representing the National Director of Public Health, Dr Helga Freitas.

In his brief intervention, he thanked the technicians for accepting to spend a week away from their usual places of residence and work to focus on the finalization of the National Health Security Action Plan (NHSAP) which has a strategic importance for the country, as well as to respond to the demands of the RSI. He recalled that the NHSAP is only one of many tasks that Angola has to respond to the recommendations of the Joint External Evaluation. Finally, he wished everyone good work and a good stay in Angola.

The meeting was attended by 30 senior technicians from the Ministries of Health, Interior, Agriculture and Fisheries, Defence, Culture, Hospitality and Tourism and consultants from REDISSE 4, WHO and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As a result of the meeting, the drafting of the National Health Security Action Plan 2022-2026 was successfully completed, as well as drafting the two-year operational plan under the International Health Regulations for the years 2022-2023. The finalized documents will be forwarded to the Directorate of the Ministry of Health for subsequent approvals.