Sao Tome Official Says Health Decree Waits
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE · PUBLIC HEALTH
Key Facts
- What is happening A Sao Tome health official says the decree-law creating a national public health institute still awaits the president’s signature after about two years.
- Why it matters The islands lack the disease-watch body that most Portuguese-speaking states have, as Ebola and mpox outbreaks continue in Africa.
- The numbers About 240,000 people live on the islands; the draft has waited about two years; only two Portuguese-speaking states lack such an institute.
- Who is who Bonifácio Sousa directs the National Endemics Centre, and President Carlos Vila Nova must promulgate, meaning sign the decree into law.
- What to watch Whether the president signs or returns the text, and whether the institute opens in the endemics centre’s premises.
- What it means for you Donors and health agencies see a small state still building its outbreak defences; travellers should follow health advisories.
Sao Tome and Principe wants a national agency to track disease and plan for epidemics. A health official says the paperwork has waited about two years.
Sao Tome and Principe has waited two years for a presidential signature on a public health institute decree, an official says. The institute would set the islands’ strategies to prevent and respond to epidemics.
Sao Tome and Principe is a two-island nation of about 240,000 people in the Gulf of Guinea, off Central Africa. It is one of only two members of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries without such an institute, the official said.
In Plain English
- —Public health institute A national body that tracks disease, runs reference laboratories and advises government during outbreaks.
- —Promulgation The president’s formal signing that turns a decree-law into law.
- —Decree-law A law issued by the government rather than passed by parliament.
- —CPLP The Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, a group of nine states that includes Angola, Brazil and Portugal.
What the Health Official Said
Bonifácio Sousa, director of the National Endemics Centre, said the draft decree-law and statutes were drafted with help from Portuguese-speaking institutes. He said they went to the competent authorities and have waited about two years for the President.
Sousa pointed to Ebola and mpox outbreaks in Africa as reasons every state needs such an institute. He said the country already has a National Reference Laboratory staffed and equipped for molecular biology.
He said the future institute is expected to work from the Endemics Centre’s current premises. Sao Tome and Principe and Equatorial Guinea are the only members of the Portuguese-speaking community without one, he said.
Who Signs and What the Constitution Says
Under the constitution, the President of the Republic promulgates laws, decree-laws and decrees. The version we read treats certain government decree-laws as legally non-existent if unsigned within 20 days of receipt.
That 20-day rule makes the date the presidency received the text important. We could not establish that date, and the official did not give it.
The Country and Its Health System
Sao Tome and Principe became independent from Portugal on 12 July 1975. President Carlos Vila Nova won a new term in the July 2026 vote on preliminary results, EU election observers said.
The World Bank puts the economy at about US$981 million in 2025, or US$4,084 per person. The health ministry’s 2023 to 2032 plan calls for training public health doctors and epidemiologists.
Our explainer on Sao Tome and Principe sets out the economy and politics. Our report on the choice of a new government covers the political wait.
What It Means for You
For donors, WHO partners and US health agencies, the gap shows how small island states lean on outside labs and funding. A new institute would give them a single local partner.
Travellers to the islands should follow health advisories during the Ebola and mpox outbreaks on the continent. The decree does not change entry rules.
What Is Not Known
The statement comes from one official, and we found no confirmation from the President’s office or the Ministry of Health. We could not confirm when the text reached the presidency or whether it faces legal review.
We read the constitution as revised in 2003 and could not check whether later changes altered the promulgation rules. The decree-law’s text, number and cost are not public.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a national public health institute?
It is a national body that tracks disease, runs reference laboratories and advises government during outbreaks. Most Portuguese-speaking states have one.
What does promulgation mean?
It is the president’s formal signing that turns a decree-law into law. Until then the institute cannot legally be created.
Who is waiting for the decree to be signed?
Bonifácio Sousa, director of the National Endemics Centre, says his team has waited about two years. He says the text went to the competent authorities.
Which countries lack a public health institute?
Sousa says only Sao Tome and Principe and Equatorial Guinea lack one among Portuguese-speaking states. We could not confirm this independently.
Does this affect travellers?
Not directly, because the decree does not change entry rules. Travellers should still follow health advisories during the Ebola and mpox outbreaks.
Sources: Constitution of Sao Tome and Principe, 1975, revised 2003, articles 83 and 111; EU Election Observation Mission, preliminary statement on the presidential election of 19 July 2026; Ministry of Health of Sao Tome and Principe, National Health Development Plan 2023 to 2032; World Bank, Sao Tome and Principe population and GDP indicators, 2025 (the National Endemics Centre director’s remarks of early November 2026 are described in the text; accessed 4 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief