Cunene and Huíla, 26 May 2025 - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Angola are carrying out a joint mission to the provinces of Cunene and Huíla from 26 to 29 May. The initiative includes the participation of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway in Angola, H.E. Bjonar Dahl Hotvedt and the UNFPA Representative in Angola, Dr Rinko Kinoshita.

The aim is to accompany the programme actions implemented with local governments and other partners in the areas of sexual and reproductive health, such as the Programme to Strengthen Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, supported by the Kingdom of Norway, and the Safeguarding Young People Programme (SYP), supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The mission will help deepen co-operation with local authorities and strengthen alignment with efforts at provincial level to improve access to sexual and reproductive health and rights services for women and adolescents.

The visit reinforces the commitment of UNFPA and its donors to promoting the health and rights of young Angolans, especially in hard-to-reach regions. The mission will also highlight the complementarity between the two programmes, which work in an integrated way to offer comprehensive sexuality education to adolescents and young people in and out of schools. In addition, the mission will visit the different services of the Norwegian-funded programme, with the objectives of reducing maternal mortality and expanding access to services to prevent and respond to Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

Norway and the Kingdom of the Netherlands are two of UNFPA's main donors at global and local level in Angola, with a firm commitment to the sexual and reproductive rights of women, adolescents and young people. In Angola, the support of these countries along with other partners for UNFPA has been essential for the implementation of programmes aimed at reducing maternal mortality, expanding access to quality health services and promoting gender equality, with special attention to the most vulnerable populations.

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