Africa Day: President highlights Brava as a symbol of the vulnerabilities in access to water in Cape Verde.

José Maria Neves' position was expressed in his message alluding to Africa Day, celebrated today, May 25th, under the motto "Ensuring the Sustainable Availability of Water and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve Agenda 2063".

In his address, the Head of State considered that access to water and sanitation should be seen as "a moral imperative of social justice" and an essential condition for ensuring peace, human dignity and sustainable development on the African continent.

"There will be no lasting peace where thirst persists, nor will there be genuine development where human dignity is compromised by the absence of safe sanitation," he declared.

The President stressed that, in Cape Verde, island vulnerabilities and cyclical droughts continue to exacerbate challenges related to water supply, pointing to the case of Brava Island as "a poignant appeal to collective conscience and government action."

As explained, the excessive presence of natural fluoride in the spring waters of Brava has caused high rates of dental fluorosis in the population, especially in children, affecting public health, self-esteem and social equity.

In addition to the issue of water quality, José Maria Neves warned about the scarcity and structural instability in the supply, marked by frequent disruptions in the public network.

For the nation's highest magistrate, the "legitimate outcry" from the populations of Brava and other localities in the country for definitive solutions should not be seen as a favor, but as "a demand of citizenship."

In this regard, he advocated for the urgent mobilization of climate finance and international partnerships to guarantee safe and regular access to drinking water for the most vulnerable communities.

In his message, José Maria Neves also highlighted the International Meeting on Atlantic Creole Culture, which takes place from May 28 to 30 in Cidade Velha, a World Heritage Site.

According to him, the meeting aims to highlight Africa's contribution to the "humanization of the Atlantic," emphasizing creole culture as an expression of resilience, dialogue, and tolerance among peoples and cultures.

The President concluded by appealing for a united effort among political leaders, the scientific community, civil society, and development partners to build "a true social economy of water," putting technologies like desalination at the service of reducing inequalities and promoting human development.

May 25th is considered Africa Day because it was on this day, in 1963, that the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was created in Ethiopia, with the aim of defending and emancipating the African continent.

Inforpress