Luanda – Angola has announced plans for creation soon of a single database for social protection that will be able to gather information from various sectors to facilitate management of cases that require intervention in these fields.
This was announced by minister of Social Action, Family and Promotion of Woman, Ana Paula do Sacramento Neto while speaking at the opening of a seminar for training technicians and managers in social protection policies on Tuesday in Luanda.
The minister said that the database will also allow access to information on areas where the implementation of social protection projects is or is not succeeding to know who the vulnerable people are and how social support in the country is being done.
The minister underlined that in order for the expected goal to be achieved there is the need for the actors in this process to be properly trained to better serve.
Regarding the training, which is being conducted in partnership with UNICEF and the European Union, the minister said this is an opportunity to share international experiences in social protection to secure the rights of the citizen through integrated platforms.
The minister stressed that the techniques and methods used to establish a financially sustainable social protection scheme are expected to be improved during the training, as well as the skills of the participants that will enable them to design strategies to reform the schemes and extend the coverage of social protection.
"We also expect an understanding of the importance of extending social protection as a mechanism to reduce poverty and social inequalities," the minister said.
UNICEF promotes social protection of children
UNICEF representative, Ivan Yerovi, said social protection is at the centre of the important challenges for children in Angola, since the country's economic growth and development, strengthening of human capital and the well-being of its inhabitants requires a solution in this area.
Ivan Yerovi clarified that effective social protection systems are globally recognised as powerful tools to provide income security, prevent and reduce poverty and inequality and to promote social inclusion and dignity.
"The ministerial department has the mission to propose and execute social policies concerning the most vulnerable individuals and groups of the population, and to coordinate the implementation of the national Social Action policy," Yerovi said.
UNICEF in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), has supported the strengthening of the capacities of the key actors of the national social protection system through training, within the scope of the "Improving Synergies between Social Protection and Public Finance Management" Programme.
The training on social protection takes place from February 28 to March 3.
