Angola responds strongly to the polio virus emergence

In response to a most up-to-date polio outbreak in Benguela province, Angola has launched a polio vaccination campaign. The campaign goals to give protection to over half of a million adolescents and reaffirm the country’s commitment to eradicating disease.

In the course of the launch ceremony, Dr Fekadu Lemma, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) coordinator in Angola, said, “This campaign is an act of security, solidarity, and hope for Angola’s future. Polio is now not handiest an invisible risk, on the other hand it might perchance maybe perchance motive eternal physical worry, corresponding to paralysis.”

Irrespective of indispensable growth since the interruption of the wild poliovirus in 2011 and Angola being certified polio-free in 2015, the country now faces a original explain. The outbreak has resulted in 13 confirmed poliovirus cases in Benguela, Cubal, Dombe Grande, and Bocoio municipalities.

In response, the Ministry of Well being, supported by the WHO and GPEI partners, is conducting an intensive door-to-door vaccination campaign from 27 to 29 June. The campaign goals to vaccinate over 554,000 adolescents below the age of 5.

Dr Cátia Katchiuko, the deputy governor for financial and social affairs of Benguela province, reinforced the authorities’s commitment: “This campaign is a transparent demonstration of our dedication to the nicely being and nicely-being of our younger of us. With the strengthen of our partners, we have made wide growth, but we know that the mission is now not yet total. Eradicating polio is a collective struggle — and we are all in this together.”

In response to the GPEI, the World Well being Organization (WHO) has outlined 5 strategic steps to be sure the a success eradication of polio in the country. These steps embrace: a) Strengthening routine immunization, with a tackle adolescents who’ve now not bought any doses; b) Conducting fine quality campaigns with fair monitoring and hasty corrections; (c) Strengthening polio surveillance, together with surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis and environmental surveillance; (d) Growing team involvement by collaborating local, non secular and standard leaders; and (e) Guaranteeing the sustainability of actions by integrating lessons learned from polio into other public nicely being programmes.

The vaccination campaign in Benguela province is allotment of this vogue, given the province’s importance in the context of the polio outbreak, which poses the absolute best risk of spreading at national and world phases. Right here is extremely pertinent given the province’s inhabitants density, history of poliovirus circulation, and its characteristic as a logistics hub for other provinces.

Around 5,000 of us, together with nicely being mavens and team volunteers, were mobilized for the most up-to-date polio vaccination campaign, with an funding of roughly $3.6 million, essentially funded by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative through WHO and UNICEF.

The WHO Representative in Angola, Dr Indrajit Hazarika, concluded: “As a father, I know that vaccinating a small bit one is an act of bask in. It guarantees them a classic lawful and opens the door to a extra healthy and further promising future.”

“Polio would now not respect borders, but neither ought to our decision. Every small one vaccinated brings us closer to a polio-free future. Eradicating polio is that it’s likely you’ll perchance factor in, but handiest if all phases of authorities, partners, and communities work together. We can now not stop now. Our period will likely be remembered for having the braveness to total this mission.”