Quoted in a statement from the Ministry of Health, that VerAngola had access to, Sílvia Lutucuta emphasized that "from the day the first case of cholera was diagnosed in the country, the Executive quickly activated mechanisms to contain the spread of the disease."
She considered vaccination one of the "powerful weapons to prevent cholera," but that "it alone is not the solution."
"The vaccine is also one of the powerful weapons to prevent cholera, but vaccination alone is not the solution. So, on the one hand, people need to be vaccinated; it's a quick and immediate measure to control the spread of the disease. But we also need to continue treating the water supply, ensuring drinking water supplies, and removing garbage from our municipality," she said.
According to the Minister of Health, the Government is carrying out the vaccination phase to quickly end the chains of transmission in a timely manner and continue with structural actions, which include health education in the communities.
Cited by Angop, Sílvia Lutucuta stated that, through health education, it has been possible to inform and teach citizens about health and hygiene habits, aiming to promote both personal and collective health, disease prevention, and improve quality of life.
The minister also stated that there are currently no cases of the disease in the provinces where the vaccination plan was successfully implemented, adding that the Executive's current concern is in six provinces, namely Zaire, Lunda Norte, Namibe, Huíla, Cabinda, and Cuanza Sul, where vaccination campaigns are underway.
It is worth noting that, on Saturday, the minister presided over the launch of the third phase of the national cholera vaccination campaign.
"To combat this epidemic, the Angolan government relies on the support of some partners who helped in the two previous phases of the vaccination campaign with approximately one million and 900 doses of cholera vaccine," the ministry's statement read.
According to the minister, the country "received a donation from GAV that aims to vaccinate two million people aged one and over in 24 priority municipalities in the provinces of Cabinda, Cuanza Sul, Lunda Norte, Huíla, Namibe, and Zaire."
For this third phase of the campaign, the town of Cafunfo, the epicenter of cholera in Lunda Norte province, received "more than 37,000 doses of cholera vaccine, with the aim of strengthening prevention measures and containing the spread of the disease."
According to data provided by the Ministry of Health, Angola has so far recorded a total of 27,407 cases of cholera, with 763 deaths. In Lunda Norte province, "more than 500 cases have been diagnosed and eight deaths have been recorded."
