Departments

Menu: DP HHS

Health, Humanitarian Affairs & Social Development (HHS)

About Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS)

The Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS) works to promote the AU’s health, labour, employment, migration, social development, drug control, crime prevention, sport and cultural agenda.

Its core roles include:

Providing support for the implementation of member states’ policies on labour, employment, population, health and migration;
Developing programmes and strategies on drug control and other issues;
Promoting AU instruments for advancing the social and solidarity agenda
Implementing the Agenda 2063 initiative of the Great African Museum Project
Leading the Cost of Hunger in Africa (COHA) study project
Leading the launch of the proposed African Union Sport Council (AUSC) which will oversee the African Games.

HHS hosts the secretariat of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC). The department also hosts and works with the following four specialised offices: the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), Centre for Linguistic and Historical Studies by Oral Tradition (CELHTO), African Institute for Remittances (AIR) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Structure

Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS): H.E. Amb Minata Samaté Cessouma from Burkina (elected in Feburary 2022)

Directorates

Directorate of Health and Humanitarian Affairs – Director: Professor Julio Rakotonirina, Madagascar

Directorate of Social Development, Culture and Sport - Acting Director: Angela Martins, Mozambique