Angola has launched a nationwide polio vaccination campaign aiming to immunize around nine million children under the age of five. The operation will run until March 28 and targets all 326 municipalities across the country.
The Ministry of Health stated that the campaign comes at a critical time, with the circulation of the type 2 poliovirus variant. Over the past 12 months, 28 cases of acute flaccid paralysis in children have been confirmed, and the virus was detected in 12 environmental samples across eight provinces. In Luanda, the virus was recently identified in Belas, Calumbo, and Viana municipalities, emphasizing the urgency of a comprehensive response.
More than 14,600 teams, involving around 53,700 professionals—including vaccinators, registrars, social mobilizers, technicians, and volunteers—will go door to door to ensure every child receives the vaccine. The first phase of the campaign is being launched in Belas, Luanda, with a second phase scheduled for May.
The Ministry of Health also highlighted the importance of routine immunization, available free of charge at more than 2,020 health units, providing 13 vaccines protecting against 16 potentially serious diseases.
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The campaign involves provincial governments, municipal administrations, traditional authorities, defense and security forces, churches, and international partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rotary International, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Authorities are urging parents and guardians to ensure all children aged 0–5 are vaccinated during the campaign, emphasizing that polio eradication depends on mass participation.
