Africa-Press – Angola. The Global Alliance for Vaccines (Gavi) has made an additional 500 million doses of vaccines available to Angola, Health Minister Sílvia Lutucuta announced on Tuesday in Luanda.
The minister disclosed the information at the end of a meeting with Gavi’s CEO, Sánia Nishtar. Lutucuta considered the visit decisive for strengthening cooperation with Angola in the field of immunization, underlining that the meeting also emphasized the long-standing “privileged relationship” with Gavi, which has directly financed the Expanded Immunization Program (EPI) for 14 years.
Lutucuta clarified that, even though Angola transitioned to middle-income country status in 2017, Gavi has continued to provide support in areas such as emergency response, training, and operational assistance.
She said that, with the organization’s new classification, Angola once again meets the conditions to receive direct support for vaccine acquisition, a crucial measure, especially given the country’s continued co-financing of its national program.
“Dr. Sánia’s visit is very important. It reinforces a relationship that is already strategic at a time when Gavi is considering Angola a high-impact country once again,” said the Angolan minister.
She noted that President João Lourenço was recently recognized by Gavi as a “Vaccination Champion,” a distinction that strengthens the partnership amid Angola’s presidency of the African Union.
The minister underscored that, in addition to routine vaccines, Gavi has supported Angola in responding to multiple emergencies, including providing cholera vaccines to address outbreaks and launching polio campaigns, particularly in vulnerable areas.
She also expressed support for the introduction of the HPV vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer — the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Angolan women — and appealed to families, especially adolescent girls, to get vaccinated.
Gavi CEO Sania Nishtar reaffirmed Gavi’s commitment to Angola, highlighting that it is among the priority countries in this new support cycle. She praised the Angolan government for its commitment to immunization and reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to the country.
“Angola is once again part of the group of eligible countries, and we are happy to begin a new chapter in this journey,” she said.
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