Luanda - At least 53,515 people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 since the beginning of the massive campaign on March 2nd, Health Minister, Silvia Lutucuta said Thursday in Luanda.
According to the minister, who was speaking at a virtual press conference on the launch of the vaccination against the Covid-19 pandemic, organised by the World Health Organisation's regional office for Africa, this number includes health professionals, pre-school and primary school teachers, the elderly and members of defence and security bodies.
The government official said that new actors from risk groups will gradually be incorporated until it reaches 20 percent of the population nationwide, thus covering 6.4 million people over 40 years old, reaching the target of the first stage of vaccination.
In relation to the virtual conference, Silvia Lutucuta said that it had served to allow Angola to share its experience of implementing the vaccination programme with other African countries.
As for the costs of vaccinating 53 percent of the Angolan population, government minister said that it would be done in two stages, the first of which would be carried out under the COVAX initiative, which would cover 20 percent of the population. The remaining 33 percent will be covered with own resources from the General State Budget (OGE), as well as through financing to be negotiated with the World Bank and the European Bank, under bilateral agreements for the purchase of vaccines.