Angola launched the first round of its National Polio Vaccination Campaign, a large-scale operation aimed at protecting 6,852,372 children under the age of five in all 326 municipalities across the country. 

The official launch took place in the municipality of Camama, Luanda province, and was attended by national, provincial, and municipal authorities, as well as representatives of the United Nations System and international partners. 

The campaign is a direct response to the confirmation of 14 cases of poliovirus recorded this year in the provinces of Benguela, Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Huambo, Huila and Bié. Although Angola eliminated wild poliovirus in 2011, a fact officially confirmed in 2015, the circulation of the disease in other parts of the world and the detection of new cases in the country require constant vigilance and swift action. 

The Secretary of State for Public Health, Dr. Carlos Alberto Pinto de Sousa, stressed the urgency of mobilization: “This is an emergency situation that requires a firm and immediate response from the entire country. We have mobilized more than 50,000 people, including health professionals and volunteers, determined not to leave any child behind.” 

The campaign involves 15,389 vaccination teams, supervised by 3,974 technicians, who will be in the field from August 15 to 17, in all neighborhoods and villages, visiting homes, markets, churches, and bus stops to ensure that every child receives two drops of the oral polio vaccine. The second round is scheduled for September 5-7, with the aim of strengthening protection and interrupting transmission of the virus. 

According to Dr. Hege Wagan, Acting Representative of the United Nations System in Angola, this mobilization represents more than a health campaign: “It is a national movement of hope, responsibility, and love. We will go door to door, reach the most remote areas, and ensure that no child is left behind,” she said, also calling for the strengthening of routine immunization and epidemiological surveillance to prevent future outbreaks. 

The Ministry of Health and its partners, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the Gates Foundation, Gavi, and the CDC, are calling on all families to welcome vaccinators and ensure that children under five receive their doses, even if they have been vaccinated before. 

Eradicating polio is possible, but only with everyone's participation. By opening the door to the vaccinator, each family also opens the door to a polio-free future.