Angola kicked off a nationwide polio vaccination campaign targeting 6.8 million children under five across all 326 municipalities in the country, according to the latest announcement. The campaign launched in Camama municipality in Luanda province with national authorities and United Nations (UN) representatives attending the ceremony. This urgent response comes after Angola confirmed 14 new polio cases this year in six provinces, despite eliminating wild poliovirus back in 2011.
The outbreak hit Benguela, Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Huambo, Huila, and Bié provinces, forcing health officials to act fast. Angola officially eliminated wild polio in 2015, but new cases show the virus can still sneak back in from other countries. Health Secretary Carlos Alberto Pinto de Sousa called it an emergency requiring immediate action from everyone.
More than 50,000 people are working on this campaign, including health workers and volunteers organized into 15,389 vaccination teams. They’re going door-to-door from August 15-17, hitting homes, markets, churches, and bus stops to make sure no child gets missed. Each kid gets two drops of oral vaccine, and there’s a second round planned for September 5-7 to strengthen protection.
“This is a national movement of hope, responsibility, and love,” said Dr. Hege Wagan, the UN’s acting representative in Angola. The teams will reach even the most remote villages to ensure complete coverage. Partners like WHO, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, Gavi, and CDC are all backing the effort.
Officials are asking all families to welcome the vaccinators, even if their kids got vaccinated before. Beating polio is totally possible, but only if everyone participates and opens their doors to the vaccination teams.
