Angola has just received 2 million oral cholera vaccines, marking a major step in the country’s fight against a cholera outbreak that began in January, according to a press release. This delivery is the result of a joint push by Angola’s Ministry of Health, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the European Union, and several other partners. The official handover happened this afternoon in Luanda, bringing fresh hope as the number of cholera cases continues to decline and no new deaths have been reported in recent days.
The campaign will use single-dose vaccines for anyone over the age of one. Teams chose the priority areas based on daily disease tracking, making sure the doses get to people who need them most. Dr. João Rangel de Almeida from WHO stressed the point: vaccines matter, but clean water and good sanitation are just as important.
“The vaccines are now enough to enable the final control of the outbreak, but they must be accompanied by complementary measures,” he said.
International partners pulled together to make this delivery possible, using a global emergency stockpile and local logistics. Vaccination teams are preparing to start within days, working alongside the National Directorate of Public Health and local health workers.
