Madrid - Angola recorded a total of 105,887 positive cases of Covid-19 and 1,936 deaths, the country's president João Lourenço said Wednesday in Madrid, Spain.
The first positive case of Covid-19 in Angola was registered in March 2020 in a patient from Lisbon (Portugal).
According to the Angolan Head of State, who was speaking after being distinguished for the efforts made in the fight against Covid-19, with a book entitled "The Art of saving life", the country increased the number of hospital beds, intensive care units, clinical laboratories, imaging equipment and haemodialysis units to respond to the pandemic.
As part of the same strategy, epidemiological/laboratory surveillance was reinforced, free testing capacity, training of new health professionals, as well as the improvement of biosecurity conditions.
The statesman underlined the fact that, in Angola, there was no collapse of the health system during the four major epidemic waves of the Covid-19.
According to João Lourenço, during the last wave that occurred in January 2022, caused by the Omicron variant, Angola registered a very low number of deaths in the fight against Covid-19, with the support of the Covax initiative.
João Lourenço said Angola started in March 2021 the implementation of the National Vaccination Plan against Covid-19, mobilising millions of free doses of vaccines.
To control the expansion of the virus and prevent the collapse of the National Public Health System, the Angolan government has invested heavily in building hospitals and diagnosis centres, and in acquiring vaccines.
As part of the vaccination campaign, the Angolan authorities have mobilised 35.5 million doses of safe vaccines for an eligible population of around 18 million people aged 12 and over.
Official data show that since the start of the vaccination process against Covid-19, a total of 18.932,660 people have been immunised, of which 15.884,000 with only one dose, 8.927,000 with the full dose, 2.190,106 with booster doses and 6.087,000 citizens without a booster dose.
Despite the resources provided by the government to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, Angola has benefited from international donors, including countries and organisations.
Government figures indicate that by 2022, the country had more than 33,000 hospital beds, as a result of State investment in improving health services.
FMA/AL/Amp/jmc
