The BBC World Service Trust has focused on health, governance and human rights in Angola. We have worked with a wide range of partners to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. We have also worked with the Angolan media to help them prepare for the 2008 national elections.
Context
16 year old Delcio Custodio's dream is shared by a large number of young people in Angola. But 27 years of civil war have left a challenging legacy.
The conflict had a terrible impact on the provision of basic services such as education and health, and the country is now at risk of a rapidly escalating HIV epidemic, particularly among young people.
However, much progress has been made since the fighting stopped in 2002, particularly in the area of education, where Angola is on target to meet the Millennium Development Goal of providing universal primary education by 2015.
My dream is to have a prosperous future: a good job, a house and a family.
Delcio Custodio, listener to Mo Kamba, youth radio discussion programme
Although the country is rich in natural resources, including oil and diamonds, 66% of the population lives below the poverty line and 26% lives in extreme poverty.
A supplier of crude oil to the US and China, Angola denies allegations that revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement.
In 2004 New York-based lobbying group, Human Rights Watch accused Angola's rulers of having pocketed or misspent $4.2 billion in five years.
Oil exports and foreign loans have spurred economic growth and have fuelled a reconstruction boom.
Angola held legislative elections in late 2008 for only the second time since the end of the civil war. Presidential elections are scheduled for early 2009.
Facts
- 2.5% of the population - or approximately 362,500 people - are HIV positive
- Four million Angolans displaced by the civil war have returned to their communities.
- More than 50% of the urban population lives in slums
- Between 1999 and 2006, the net enrolment rate in primary schools grew from 47 per cent to 56 per cent.
- 31% of children under five are underweight
- Angola has incredible growth rates but the gap between rich and poor is enormous
Working in partnership
Through partnerships with Angolan state broadcaster Radio Nacional de Angola (RNA) and Radio Luanda, we reached millions of people in Angola with a nation-wide campaign about HIV and AIDS. More
We have provided intensive training to RNA staff. We have also trained more than 100 Angolan radio producers and technicians in radio production skills, digital editing techniques and how to effectively cover HIV and AIDS-related issues. More
