Africa-Press – Cape verde. In 2024, Cape Verde was marked by several advances, such as certification as a malaria-free country, the expansion of mental health services and the strengthening of dengue prevention. However, challenges such as labor strikes, the increase in dengue cases, tensions in the education sector and security issues marked the national panorama.
In January, Cape Verde declared 2024 as the year of mental health. Also in January, the Director-General of the WHO visited the country, which was also certified as malaria-free.
In February, in the Calabaceira neighborhood of Praia, 12 young people were hospitalized under suspicion of cocaine overdose, raising concerns about access to illicit drugs.
In July, the Ministry of Health and the National Health Directorate announced the implementation of policies aimed at strengthening the fight against non-communicable diseases. As part of the “Year of Mental Health”, the government began expanding psychological support services, with the aim of providing more care centres throughout the country, in addition to investing in the ongoing training of professionals and in the infrastructure of health units.
Health professionals began a fight for better working conditions and salaries. After announcing a strike in July, they demanded the implementation of Career Plans and retroactive salary increases. The strike, scheduled for August, was suspended after the government opened new negotiations. Despite the progress, dissatisfaction persists, marking the year as a period of strong mobilisation in the sector.
In August, public health policies focused on preventing dengue fever, especially in view of the increase in cases during the rainy season.
In September, Resolution No. 81/2024 was approved, which indicated the participation of the Coast Guard in medical evacuations, aiming to improve the response capacity of the national health system, especially in emergencies.
In addition, the arrival of a new aircraft for transporting patients was announced, to reduce response times in hard-to-reach areas.
In October, the country faced a substantial increase in dengue cases, and by December 13, the country had recorded more than 17,938 confirmed cases and 8 cumulative deaths.
In response, the government declared a national contingency situation, implementing intensive actions to control the vector, including smoke campaigns and the distribution of prevention materials.
In December, the government announced progress in restructuring the National Telemedicine Service, focusing on expanding access to high-speed internet and implementing 5G technology.
These investments aim to improve connectivity and the quality of remote care, providing greater efficiency and accessibility for the most remote populations.
Education
The education sector has been marked by labor demands, union tensions and reforms. In January, teachers rejected the government’s salary proposal, and in March they protested by withholding grades.
In April, students from secondary schools in Praia held a peaceful demonstration against the freezing of grades and for improvements in the education system.
Cape Verde is the second PALOP country with the most students enrolled in higher education in Portugal (22,592), standing out in areas such as Business Sciences, Engineering and Health.
In May, however, following demands, teachers published grades for the 12th year in the Integrated School Management System (SIGE). In the same month, the Technical University of the Atlantic presented the Higher Institute of Aeronautics and Tourism.
In September, the unions representing teachers, the National Teachers’ Union (SINDEP) and the Democratic Teachers’ Union (SINDPROF), announced a strike notice for the 19th and 20th. The main reason for this was the failure to comply with the commitments agreed with the government, such as the publication and payment of subsidies related to the non-reduction of working hours and the lack of progress in negotiations for the revision of the Teaching Staff Career Statute. The strike was suspended after a preliminary agreement with the government.
The government, in turn, presented a new proposal for the Teaching Staff Career and Function Plan (PCFR), which was vetoed by the President of the Republic.
The new school year, which began on September 16, with around 115 thousand students enrolled and more than seven thousand teachers, was also marked by a scenario of uncertainty due to the impasse over the PCFR and the impact of the demands of the teaching profession, which generated concerns about the stability of the school environment.
In addition to labor demands, the education sector was also impacted by structural reforms, with the government insisting on the need to enact the PCFR to guarantee the valorization of the teaching profession, which generated tension between the political authorities and the unions, complicating the scenario for the beginning of the school year.
The “f“The lack of dialogue and unfulfilled promises” were constant themes in the teachers’ demonstrations. However, at the end of December, in the last plenary session of the year, parliament approved, in general terms, the PCFR for the class.
Justice and security
The issue of security in 2024 was marked by a series of events, including murders, drug trafficking and operations to combat crime.
At the beginning of the year, in São Vicente, three people were shot, resulting in the death of one of them.
In February, the government updated the recruitment criteria for the Armed Forces, aligning them with the country’s needs, and replaced the prison security weapons at the Praia Central Prison with more modern models.
In the same month, the Supreme Court of Justice of Cape Verde elected the vice-president of the ECOWAS Judicial Council.
In March, in Porto Novo, the main suspect of feminicide was found dead. Also that month, Cape Verde extradited four Spaniards accused of drug trafficking. A group of citizens reported fraud involving visas to Portugal.
April began with the rejection, by the Constitutional Court, of requests for protection from citizens convicted of drug trafficking in Operation Alcatraz. In São Vicente, the Municipal Police was inaugurated, with 15 officers.
Also in April, a man was shot dead in São Vicente. In May, a major police operation “Capital Segura” resulted in seizures and closures in the capital.
The 2023 report revealed that 31.3% of the population fears crime, with a greater feeling of insecurity in urban areas. Ten men were arrested for drug trafficking, and 57 municipal guards from Praia completed training for the Municipal Police.
Still on the subject of homicides, the death of Cape Verdean Odair Moniz, fatally shot by a Public Security Police officer in Portugal in October, sparked a wave of protests in the Zambujal neighbourhood, where Moniz lived, and was accompanied by reactions from Cape Verdean authorities.
The Portuguese authorities, in turn, opened an investigation to clarify the circumstances of the incident, while the Cape Verdean community in Portugal joined in protests, seeking justice.
Migration
In March, in São Vicente, a canoe carrying 65 people was found with five dead and five survivors. Days later, another canoe arrived with 11 migrants.
That same month, the fifteen surviving migrants left the country for their countries of origin.
Meanwhile, in May, an oil tanker off the coast of Cape Verde rescued seven migrants. Six were hospitalized in São Vicente, while one ended up dying.
Transport
In March, the Cape Verdean airline resumed domestic flights after almost seven years.
In April, TACV pilots announced a strike, and in June, CV InterIlhas merchants and customers reported losses due to delays in transporting goods to Maio, resulting in empty shelves in the island’s supermarkets.
A month after the silting of the Maio pier, transporting goods became more expensive and there were reports of product shortages.
Other situations
Also in January, the General Inspectorate of Labor warned about the increase in the minimum wage.
Also in the first month of the year, the Climate and Environmental Fund was launched to mobilize resources for climate action, and the lack of fuel in Boa Vista was reported.
The city of Assomada was named Cape Verde’s Youth Capital. Cape Verde and Portugal submitted an application to the United Nations for professional training. The IGAE has seized products classified as “dangerous and poisonous” following reports of animal poisoning.
In March, Cape Verde led the PALOP countries in the Women, Business and the Law Index of 2024, with 70 points, above the global average. The CMP has started a campaign to collect stray animals, which is scheduled to end in December.
The government has banned single-use plastics. A fire in the Rabelados community has left seven families homeless.
In May, Cape Verde fell from 33rd to 41st place in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index. ERIS ensured the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was withdrawn from the European market for commercial reasons.
In June, the government launched the Cape Verdean Diaspora Mapping Project with a technical mission to São Tomé and Príncipe. The Ministry of Agriculture has started testing new methods to control the fall armyworm, with the support of a Chinese expert.
In 2024, there were also records of hospital deaths, including cases of pregnant women and newborns, in the last months of the year. One example is the disappearance of a newborn’s body at the Agostinho Neto University Hospital (HUAN), in Praia, in September.
After an investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was confirmed that the baby’s body was found among hospital waste, buried with other medical materials.
The exhumation of the body, realThe investigation was carried out on 11 October and was conducted with the participation of the father, who identified the body after analysis. The body was later handed over to the family after they expressed interest in funeral ceremonies.
Another incident was the death of a patient who was 38 weeks pregnant, which occurred during childbirth on 26 September at HUAN. The hospital attributed the death to a serious complication. An investigation was opened to determine the details of the case.
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