Angola News

On February 3rd and 4th, around one million people, including children and adults, will be vaccinated against cholera in Luanda, Bengo and Icolo e Bengo. The initiative, led by the Ministry of Health, has the support of The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank.

Speech by H.E. Dr Zahira Virani, Resident Coordinator of the UN System in Angola, on launching the Cholera Vaccination Campaign. 

Her Excellency, Minister of Health, Dr. Silvia Lutucuta; 

On the day dedicated to Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), the Government of Angola and its partners renewed their commitment to working together to accelerate efforts to eradicate and eliminate these diseases, particularly guinea worm, leprosy, trypanosomiasis which continue to affect the health and well-being of the population. 

Luanda, Angola, 25 January 2025 – The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with Angola’s health authorities, is intensifying efforts on the ground to combat the cholera outbreak that has affected the country since 7 January 2025. With 1,016 reported cases and 43 deaths to date, WHO teams are actively supporting surveillance, case management, testing, and community-level interventions.

Luanda, Angola – Dr Zabulon Yoti, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Angola, accompanied by a team of WHO staff, joined the Minister of Health today for a field visit to the cholera outbreak hotspot in Cacuaco Municipality. They evaluated the Cholera Treatment Centres (CTCs) set up to manage the crisis and assessed the response at the community level. The government has shown commendable leadership in providing clean water to affected communities, a crucial step in curbing the spread of cholera.

Luanda - On 11 January 2025, WHO took part in a high-level meeting convened by the Minister of Health at the General Hospital of Cacuaco to address Angola’s cholera. WHO commended the Governments actions to effectively coordinate a multisector team, timely detect and respond to the outbreak including promptly sharing information with all relevant authorities in compliance with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have donated a batch of molecular biology test kits for Mpox to Angola’s National Institute for Health Research (INIS). This collaboration aims to enhance Angola’s capacity to swiftly detect and respond to Mpox cases, marking an important step in supporting the country’s public health system as it confronts the recent emergence of the disease.

Laurinda Pandasala was excited when she gave birth to her daughter, Ana, in July 2023. While the event was joyful, she also experienced underlying anxiety. She wanted the best for her child, especially regarding health care. However, accessing routine childhood vaccinations for Ana in Canduvene, a small city in Angola’s Bié Province community, proved daunting.

In a symbolic event marked by testimonies and the renewal of commitments to ensure that no child is left behind without vaccination, the Angolan government paid a heartfelt tribute to all the volunteers, partners and health professionals who, over the decades, have dedicated their lives to the fight to eradicate polio in Angola.