LocationsAdvancing Health as a Human Right
December 15, 2025
Representatives of Local Human Rights Committees from three provinces gathered in Bié Province for a five-day training session as part of the Integra Initiative.
In line with Government of Angola’s priorities, strengthening local mechanisms to monitor and promote the right to health remains crucial for both the quality of care and the protection of citizens’ rights. Ensuring that health services are delivered with dignity, quality, respect, and accountability require well-prepared local actors who can receive complaints, document cases, and engage with institutions effectively.
Representatives of Local Human Rights Committees from three provinces gathered in Bié Province for a five-day training under the Integra Initiative, implemented by the Government of Angola in partnership with UNDP, to strengthen capacities to monitor, document, and promote the right to health at the community level.
According to Luísa António, Senior Technician at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, the training “reflected the need to strengthen community-level mechanisms that support the health system and respond to challenges that are often identified at the community level in relation to health services.”
The sessions brought together committee members, traditional authorities, and civil society representatives to address practical challenges in the field.
Topics included ethical conduct in health care, mental health, emotional intelligence, active listening, and strategies for community engagement.
Augusto Fideira, Provincial Representative of Traditional Authorities from Kwanza Sul, highlighted the practical relevance of the training: “We deal with these situations in our communities. The training helped clarify how to respond, who to contact, and how to follow up.”
The session addressed issues such as dignity in care, mental health, and emotional intelligence, which are directly linked to the way people experience health services.Mariete Bartolomeu, a member of the Provincial Human Rights Committee of Kwanza Sul, noting the focus on human-centred aspects of health services
The training, held around Human Rights Day, emphasized the connection between fundamental rights and access to quality health care. Aligned to broader efforts under the Integra Initiative, in partnership with the Government, to strengthen data collection, reporting, monitoring, and follow-up mechanisms, it also included the use of digital tools, intending to improve coordination between communities, local authorities, and public institutions.
Gabriel Dava, Deputy Resident Representative of the UNDP, and Lino Kupenga, Provincial Delegate for Justice and Human Rights in Cuanza Sul, during the handover of electronic equipment by the UNDP to the Government of Angola on Human Rights Day, December 10, 2025, as part of the Integra Initiative.
This project is supported by the UNDP Funding Window on Governance, Peacebuilding, Crisis and Resilience, with contributions from the Governments of Denmark, Luxembourg, and the Republic of Korea.
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