Around five thousand health professionals and community volunteers are mobilized for the campaign, which represents an investment of 3.6 million dollars, according to a statement from the World Health Organization in Angola (WHO).
Although Angola was considered polio-free in 2015, after the circulation of the wild virus was interrupted in 2011, the current outbreak represents a new threat to public health, which has mobilized national and international authorities.
The 13 confirmed cases of poliovirus were identified in the municipalities of Benguela, Cubal, Dombe Grande and Bocoio.
The WHO has defined five essential strategies to eradicate the disease in the country: strengthening routine vaccination, strengthening epidemiological surveillance (including environmental surveillance and acute flaccid paralysis), high-quality campaigns with rapid corrections, community engagement with local leaders and integration of lessons learned into other public health programs.
This campaign "is an act of protection, solidarity and hope for the future of Angola", said Fekadu Lemma, coordinator of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in Angola, during the launch of the operation, adding that polio "is an invisible threat that can cause permanent damage, such as paralysis".
Quoted in the press release, the vice-governor for Economic and Social Affairs of the province of Benguela, Cátia Katchiuko, also highlighted the commitment of the authorities, highlighting that "eradicating polio is a collective struggle".
The WHO representative in Angola, Indrajit Hazarika, stressed that polio "does not respect borders" and assured that the authorities are "ever closer to eradicating polio".
The action is coordinated by the Ministry of Health and has the support of the WHO, GPEI and UNICEF.
