Angola has concluded the first Meeting on the Prioritization and Optimization of the Vaccine Portfolio. This strategic exercise brought together national experts, health officials, and technical partners to define priorities and strengthen evidence-based decision-making within the framework of the National Immunization Strategy for 2026 to 2030.
Over the course of three days, representatives from the Ministry of Health, members of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NITAG), World Health Organisation (WHO), the Global Alliance for Vaccines (GAVI) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as representatives from other institutions, analysed the country’s current immunisation schedule, identified opportunities for optimisation and established criteria to guide future decisions on the introduction and prioritisation of vaccines.
The workshop yielded important results, including the validation of priority issues for optimizing the immunization program, the definition of criteria and indicators to support decision-making, the identification of the evidence required for future analyses, and the approval of a work plan that will guide the next stages of the process.
During the opening session, the National Director of Public Health, Dr Helga Freitas, highlighted the importance of the meeting for the program’s future and its potential impact on the population’s health.
The outcomes of this workshop represent an important step towards ensuring that decisions on vaccination in Angola are increasingly based on concrete data and focused on impact. By setting clear priorities and establishing an action plan, we are strengthening the country’s capacity to protect more children, prevent avoidable diseases, and ensure a healthier future for our communities.”
The process of prioritizing and optimizing the vaccine portfolio aims to ensure that investments in immunization deliver the greatest possible benefit to the population, considering factors such as the burden of disease, the expected impact of vaccines, operational feasibility, and the financial sustainability of interventions.
For the World Health Organization (WHO), the workshop highlighted Angola’s growing commitment to adopting transparent measures, based on the best available scientific evidence, which is essential for strengthening immunization and improving the health of the population. According to the WHO representative in Angola, Dr. Indrajit Hazarika, by adopting a systematic and participatory approach, the country is strengthening its capacity to maximize the impact of vaccination investments and protect a greater number of people against preventable diseases.
With the conclusion of this first workshop, Angola is taking another step towards strengthening its Expanded Program on Immunization and preparing strategic decisions aligned with the national immunization strategy for the next five years, which will contribute to achieving key targets such as increased vaccination coverage and a reduction in new cases of vaccine-preventable diseases, ultimately saving.
