Luanda - The results of the 2024 General Population and Housing Census will allow the Angolan Government to prepare the National Plan for the Use of Demographic Dividend in Angola, the Secretary of State for Planning, Luís Epalanga, announced this Thursday in Luanda.
When speaking at the ceremony celebrating the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), in the year of the Census, which begins on September 19th, the leader highlighted that the Ministry of Planning and the United Nations Fund for the Population defined an action plan to prepare this project.
He added that, in addition to the Census, the plan involves the Multiple Health Indicator Survey and other baseline studies.
Luís Epalanga explained that the preparation comes within the scope of the National Development Plan (PDN), which defined as one of the main priorities the adaptation of demographic dynamics to the country's economic potential.
The Secretary of State reinforced that the Government has been working with international and national development partners to promote reforms that aim to accelerate the inclusive and harmonious development of populations.
He added that the aforementioned reforms are made through policies that guarantee gender equity and the empowerment of women for their sustainable and inclusive integration in all fringes of society.
“With this instrument, we are convinced that the country will reinforce the necessary policy measures to face the challenges arising from a growing and mostly young population,” he said.
He said that by 2050 the Angolan population is expected to increase from the current 35 million to close to 70 million, assuming a reduction in the fertility rate, one of the highest in the world, from around 5.4 children per woman to 3.2.
For this reason, Luís Epalanga defended the need to guarantee a sustainable future for the country, in which the population grows at a pace that allows better living conditions for all Angolans.
For her part, the interim representative of UNFPA in Angola, Hege Wagan, highlighted that, in the current context, the importance of accurate, timely and disaggregated data cannot be underestimated either.
According to her, this information is the cornerstone for formulating evidence-based policies and programs that ensure that everyone is included in progress and development.
She reinforced that in Angola, the Census / 2024, the first to use digital data collection tools, will be fundamental to achieving this objective.
“With the technical and infrastructural support of UNFPA, this digital Census will facilitate the timely dissemination of georeferenced data, improving development planning, optimizing the provision of services in all sectors, including sexual and reproductive health care”, he highlighted.
She added that it will improve living standards, governance and accountability, promoting equity among all population groups.
The event marking the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) served to celebrate July 11, World Population Day.
The date was established by the United Nations in 1989 to highlight the importance of population dynamics and its implications for sustainable development and environmental management. HM/QCB/DOJ
