Angola mobilizes a nationwide vaccination campaign to protect millions of children

Angola launched the first round of its National Polio Vaccination Campaign, a large-scale operation aimed at protecting 6,852,372 children under the age of five in all 326 municipalities across the country. The official launch took place in the municipality of Camama, Luanda province on 16 August and was attended by national, provincial, and municipal authorities, as well as representatives of the United Nations System and international partners.

The campaign is a critical response to 14 new polio cases detected this year

The campaign is a direct response to the confirmation of 14 cases of poliovirus recorded this year in the provinces of Benguela, Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Huambo, Huila and Bié. Although Angola eliminated the wild poliovirus in 2011, a fact officially confirmed in 2015, the circulation of the disease in other parts of the world and the detection of new cases in the country require constant vigilance and swift action.

A Rotary leader is on the front lines of the immunization effort

Below: AG Manuel de Sousa (Member of the PolioPlus Committee RI – Africa), seen at the launch on the weekend’s immunisation round in Angola (also above immunising one of the children). The World Health Organization representative opened the Polio Vaccination Campaign in the presence of the Angolan Health Secretary of State for Vaccination and one of the Vice-Governor’s of Luanda Provincial Health.