Praia, 17 October 2013 -- The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, paid an official visit to Cape Verde from 13 to 15 October at the invitation of the Government of Cape Verde.

During the visit, Dr Sambo, together with the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cape Verde, Mrs Ulrika Richardson-Golinski, participated in the official launch of the national immunization campaign against measles and rubella being organized countrywide from 14 to 23 October.

The launch was presided over by the Prime Minister, Dr Jose Maria Neves who, in his address, called on everyone to commit themselves to the campaign that he considered as a national cause for the health and the quality of life of the people of Cape Verde.

The Prime Minister then thanked WHO and UNICEF for the support the two agencies have been providing in Cape Verde particularly in the area of immunization.

In his statement, the WHO Regional Director, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, said that: “The national immunization campaign against measles and rubella that is being inaugurated today in Cape Verde is part of measures to protect the more susceptible populations from contracting these two debilitating and deadly diseases. It is a response to the appeal by the World Health Assembly and the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in the context of the global initiative for elimination of measles and rubella”. 

Dr Sambo went on to say that “this programme is certainly one of the successes of the Ministry of Health of Cape Verde and an undeniable contribution towards reducing the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. For these reasons I commend health workers especially those on the frontline of disease control, for giving the best of themselves, sometimes even under challenging conditions.” 

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Dr Cristina Fontes Lima, asked the audience to give Dr Sambo a round of applause for his outstanding performance over the years, in the leadership of the WHO African Region. 

Dr Cristina Fontes Lima congratulated and thanked doctors, nurses, health commissioners and all those involved in this cause for the sense of responsibility and the commitment they have always demonstrated.

On his return to Praia after a supervisory visit to the Fogo islands, accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Dr Sambo then had audience successively with the Speaker of Parliament, Dr Basilio Mosso Ramos, and the President of the Republic of Cape Verde, His Excellency Dr Jorge Carlos Fonseca, with whom he assessed the progress made in Cape Verde in the area of health development. Furthermore, Dr Sambo hailed the President for the expansion of health infrastructure in the country and the significant improvement of health indicators over the past 10 years.

At a press conference held at the end of his visit, Dr Sambo recalled new health challenges  notably in noncommunicable diseases prevention and control and in enhancing the quality of health care as regards MDGs 4, 5 and 6, with a view to overcoming persistent health problems.

For further information contact:

Tel: (+238) 260 19 00, (+238) 2 60 19 01
Fax: (+238) 262 14 08
Email: mendoncaj [at] afro.who.int