Angola Kickstarts Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign

Health officials in Angola have started a nationwide campaign aimed at vaccinating children against polio.

The polio vaccination campaign is targeting more than 6.9 million children under the age of five.

The campaign follows the confirmation of several new cases of type 2 poliovirus in four provinces.

Led by the Ministry of Health with technical support from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the campaign is one of the Angola’s most extensive public health interventions in recent years.

It aims to halt the spread of the virus and achieve at least 95 percent coverage in every locality.

“This campaign represents a critical opportunity to interrupt poliovirus transmission in Angola,” WHO polio eradication team coordinator José Chivale said.

The campaign comes in the wake of the recent confirmation of 19 new polio cases in Benguela, Huambo, Cubango and Cuanza Norte provinces.

The three-phase rollout began in Benguela from 25-27 July, with the second phase scheduled for 8-10 August across the rest of the country and a final phase set for 5-7 September in all municipalities.

Children will receive two drops of the nVPO2 vaccine, a novel oral formulation designed to combat circulating poliovirus type 2.

To ensure full geographic reach, the campaign will deploy door-to-door teams, fixed vaccination posts, mobile units and advance teams in high-traffic areas such as markets and transport hubs.

Special teams will target remote and security-compromised zones.

Funded by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the campaign reflects Angola’s renewed commitment to a polio-free future.

Source:Africa Publicity