Caxito – The first phase of the integrated national vaccination campaign against measles, polio, rubella, plus the administration of vitamin A, was launched this Monday in Panguila district, northern Bengo Province, aimining to immunize over 1.6 milion children under five years of age.
At this stage, the campaign is aimed at the provinces of Bengo, Benguela, Bié, Cabinda, Kwanza Norte, Kwanza Sul, Uíge and Zaire, where the measles virus is circulating. 7,300 technicians and volunteers are involved, 216 supervisors distributed in 600 mobile vaccination teams.
The second phase will cover the remaining ten provinces in the country that have registered a low level of virus circulation, after the general elections scheduled for 24 August.
In the launch act, the secretary of State for Public Health, Franco Mufinda, said that due to the low demand for routine vaccines in
health units, caused by covid-19, the country has seen an increase in children susceptible to contracting the disease since 2020.
He mentioned that immunization is one of the priority strategies for reducing infant mortality.
According to the official, the campaign is intended to consolidate the positive results of the elimination of the polio virus, which is a
threat to other countries in the African and Asian regions.
UNICEF Representative Ivam Yerovi appealed to parents, health personnel, provincial governments and municipal administrations to strengthen planning, form partnerships and mobilize resources to implement routine immunization and nutrition intervention activities, with the involvement of communities.
The deputy provincial governor of Bengo for Political, Social and Economic Sector, José Francisco Bartolomeu Pedro, informed that this year eight cases of measles were identified in the
district of Dande. At the Bengo province level, in the 2020 and 2021 integrated campaigns, a total of 100,788 children were vaccinated against polio, 32,567 against measles and 12,920 were administered vitamin A.
For this campaign, it is planned to vaccinate around 78,215 children in the six municipalities of Bengo province, namely Dande, Ambriz, Dembos, Nambuangongo, Bula Atumba and Pango Aluquém.
