Overview

Angola's low level of human development is at odds with its potential for economic prosperity, evident in the country's wealth of natural resources. Much of this paradox is explained by the social disruption and physical destruction generated by 27 years of civil war. Angola is continuing the transition toward national reconciliation and peace that was begun in earnest in 2002. A nascent powerhouse for regional trade and investment, Angola is sub-Saharan Africa's second largest oil producer, has tremendous agricultural, mineral and water resources and the potential to make an important contribution to regional growth and stability. To help the country realize its potential, USAID focuses on strengthened democratic governance, economic growth, and health care. Its specific goals are to:

• Reinforce Angolan efforts to improve people's lives through increased economic growth and improved health care; and,
  
• Help Angolans make the systemic reforms that will lock Angola onto a path of broad-based growth and long-term stability.
  

The program consists of three elements:

1. Democracy & Governance

Good governance is the linchpin of USAID's programs in Angola. Each of its activities, including those to improve the delivery of health care and to expand economic growth, seeks to address one or more of the following aims:

• Improved quality of dialogue and more productive interaction between government and civil society on issues related to good governance, health care and economic growth;
  
• Increased transparency and accountability; and,
  
• More effective vertical linkages among the various levels of Government, with a focus at the national level on systemic reform; a focus at the municipal level on improving health care and local administration; and, to the extent resources allow, a focus at the provincial level on increasing capacity to serve as an effective intermediary between the national and municipal levels on key topics, such as budgeting, planning, data collection and analysis.

Programs in the Governance portfolio include: the Municipal Development Program, the Civil Society Strengthening Program, the Angola Electricity Support Program, and the Elections Support Program (which includes support to civil society, political party training, and election management). USAID also has smaller efforts to strengthen the media and support conflict mitigation.

Chevron and Lazare Kaplan International partner with USAID in different provinces in implementing the Municipal Development Program. Banco de Fomento Angola (BFA) partners with us on efforts with electricity.

2. Economic Growth

USAID supports activities to improve both the macro- and micro-level economic environment. At the macro-level, USAID is complementing efforts of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Commission to help build the capacity of the Ministry of Finance to manage the national budget in a more effective, open and transparent manner.  

At the micro-level, USAID supports both people-focused and systems-focused efforts to increase access to productive resources, especially finance. For a near-term impact on people's lives, it is supporting the Agriculture Development and Finance Program that is activating the value chain (from production through processing and transport to marketing) for bananas and coffee.

The program places a special emphasis on linking producers and entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector to sources of finance. To promote systemic reform and ensure sustained economic growth, USAID is working with the Central Bank and the commercial banks on policies, procedures, and capacity building to encourage commercial banks to expand the number of products and increase their willingness and ability to lend to micro-, small- and medium-sized borrowers. With regard to land, USAID is providing small amounts of technical assistance to Government and civil society related to procedures for demarcation and titling of land.

Also, in seeking to enhance economic growth, USAID has introduced Junior Achievement, a program to bolster confidence and entrepreneurship among Angola's youth, to Angola.
Programs in the Economic Growth include: the Agriculture Development and Finance Program, the Angola Land Reform Program, the Fiscal Programming Unit Program, and Junior Achievement.

Chevron and Banco de Fomento Angola (BFA) partner with USAID on the Agriculture Development and Finance Program. ExxonMobil, Coca-Cola, Odebrecht, Chevron, Alcatel-Lucent Technologies, and Ginásio Konceito have joined USAID on the Junior Achievement Program.

3. Health

USAID promotes the increased provision of better health care. USAID/Angola was selected as one of the first three countries to participate in the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI). The PMI is helping to reduce malaria-related mortality by 50 percent through spraying, the provision of bed nets, and the distribution of malaria treatment.

USAID is also strengthening interventions to curb the spread and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS; is improving the quality of reproductive health programs; and is helping to eradicate polio.

At the systemic level for health care, USAID is supporting efforts to: a) improve technical capabilities and help with selected systemic reform; b) increase civil society's ability to address social service needs through community mobilization and improved access to Government channels; and c) promote more productive interaction between the Government and civil society.

Programs in the Health Portfolio include: the President's Malaria Initiative, the HIV/AIDS Behavior Change Program, the Reproductive Health and Family Planning Program, the Polio Eradication Program, and the Essential Health Services Program.

ExxonMobil partners with USAID on the President's Malaria Initiative. Banco de Fomento Angola (BFA) partners with USAID on the HIV/AIDS Behavior Change Program.

At the following link http://www.usaid.gov/ao/ you will find more information on USAID's activities in Angola.