"Angola is one of the first countries to receive the vaccine and this is the result of the work that the Angolan Government and the Ministry of Health have been developing with their partners for many months, so that we are ready for this", said Djamila Cabral.
The WHO representative was speaking after the inauguration of the first central vaccine deposit, in Luanda, on the same day that Angola received the first 624,000 doses donated within the scope of Covax.
"This is the first phase, (...) but the light is deep inside," added the WHO official, stressing that the role of the international body is to support throughout the preparation and selection of vaccines and countries.
"We are very happy today, we are taking a very important step in the direction of controlling this acute phase of the epidemic in the African region", underlined Djamila Cabral.
The official highlighted the leading role of WHO in the equitable distribution of vaccines around the world.
"We have been making appeals, we have been working with donors and countries so that they can not only finance the Covax mechanism, but also donate vaccines," he explained, highlighting the example of Portugal, which recently announced that 5 percent of acquired vaccines would be destined for African Portuguese Speaking Countries (PALOP) and Timor-Leste.
The WHO official also recalled that "no country will be safe" as long as everyone is not safe: "It is important that vaccination can be done worldwide and the Covax mechanism was created even for that, to ensure that at least 20 percent of the population is vaccinated. population of each country to be vaccinated ", he stressed.
The delivery of vaccines to Angola is part of a first Covax award round that will continue in the coming days and weeks, worldwide and throughout the African region, with 2.5 million doses of AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccines until the middle of this year.
