Contributors

EurAfrican 2023

Minister of Health, Angola

Silvia Paula Valentim Lutucuta, was appointed on 28 September 2017, by Presidential Decree as Minister of Health of the Republic of Angola. She is a Cardiologist physician, was a University Lecturer, Head of the Postgraduate and Scientific Research Department of the Faculty of Medicine, with experience in Research-Molecular Biology and Genetics of Cardiovascular Diseases.

In her brilliant academic curriculum, she did pre-university studies in Biological Sciences, in the province of Huambo, and joined the Faculty of Medicine at the Agostinho Neto University, the provincial center of Huambo, at the age of 16.

She finished her degree at the age of 21, in 1990. As she was the youngest student at that time, she won a scholarship for post-graduate studies in cardiology at the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, supervised by Professor Celeste Vagueiro, and simultaneously was part of Prof. Fausto Pinto’s team.

Sílvia Lutucuta was a Member and President of the Association of Pre-University Students of Huambo, President of the Association of Medical Students of Huambo, Member of the National Association of Higher Education Students of Angola, Member of the Association of Postgraduates in Portugal, Member of the Njango Association in the USA, Member of the Order of Doctors of Angola in Portugal, Member of the Portuguese Angolan Society of Cardiology, Vice-President of the Angolan Society of Cardiovascular Diseases and Member of the Senate of the Agostinho Neto University. 

Many people have the idea that the Minister “parachuted in” when she was appointed to the post in the government of João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço. On the contrary, she awakened her talents in what she does very early on. At the age of 19, she started her career as a university lecturer, monitoring the Department of Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine in the province of Huambo, in the Department of Morphology, teaching Histology.

The Minister of Health, also brings in her curriculum experience from other parts of the globe, when she worked in the United States of America, specifically in research, where she carried out several translocation studies from Basic Science to Clinical Science and was part of study groups on Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Atherosclerosis, and Sickle Cell Anaemia. These studies were guided by world renowned personalities such as Prof. Dr. Robert Robertes, Prof. Dr. Ali Marian, and Prof. Dr. Jose Lopez.

Sílvia Lutucuta has published scientific articles in specialty magazines, she has also made presentations at International Congresses. As a result of these long years of research, several international medical research awards (best research presentation in Research Symposiums and best researcher in Basic Science) have been awarded.

Silvia Lutucuta, has acted at various basic and clinical levels, has advanced with several trainings in Echocardiography at Hamersmith Hospital in London, and in the last decade has joined Baylor College of Medicine in Houston-Texas-USA, where she has done research in cardiovascular diseases as “Post-DOC Resarcher Fallow” and Associate Researcher.

As Minister of Health, she has been very dedicated, since she received a ministry with many problems. It has been the most controversial ministry compared to the other ministries belonging to the State apparatus: strikes by doctors, nurses, workers in general and users.