If only poverty and corruption were addressed with the same urgency as COVID-19.

Abstract

This article analyzes the persistence of poverty and corruption in African societies, focusing on Angola despite its vast natural resources. The central issue is governmental negligence, which prevents the implementation of effective public policies and perpetuates social inequalities, infrastructure degradation, and deficiencies in health, education, and sanitation systems, as well as vulnerability to health crises such as the 2025 cholera epidemic. The study examines the causes of this omission, discusses its social, political, and ethical consequences, and suggests paths toward responsible and effective governance. It demonstrates that poverty is not inevitable but results from poor political choices and the absence of an ethic of responsibility among leaders, in light of the theories of Weber, Sen, Rawls, Sandel, and Oliveira. The article proposes institutional strengthening, the formulation of strategic policies, investment in education, health, and infrastructure, the fight against corruption, the promotion of rural development, and sustainable planning. The practical lesson is clear: if poverty were addressed with the same urgency as crises such as COVID-19, human dignity would cease to be a privilege and would become a universal right.