Africa-Press – Cape verde. UNICEF delivered to the Ministry of Health a batch of 15,000 doses of the rotavirus vaccine, intended for children under 1 year old, and 5,000 doses of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), for children belonging to at-risk groups.
In his speech at the official handover ceremony, which took place this afternoon in Praia, the Minister of Health, Jorge Figueiredo, stated that this donation represents a concrete step in consolidating the health system.
“This reinforcement represents a concrete step in consolidating an increasingly preventive, equitable, and resilient health system. As we know, rotavirus is one of the main causes of severe gastroenteritis, particularly diarrhea in infants and young children, with a significant impact on hospital admissions, dehydration complications, and pressure on pediatric services. Indeed, the systematic introduction of rotavirus vaccination has demonstrated, in multiple contexts, significant reductions in morbidity, mortality, and costs associated with hospitalization,” she stated.
For the Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP, UNFPA, and UNICEF in Cape Verde, Anna Chyzhkova, this delivery reaffirms the commitment to protecting children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
“In Cape Verde, respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia, and parasitic infections, such as diarrhea, continue to pose challenges to children’s health, especially in children under 5 years of age, and are among the leading causes of infant mortality in the country. Therefore, this delivery is another concrete step towards strengthening the protection of our children against vaccine-preventable diseases, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow up healthy, while the country consolidates the progress achieved over the last few decades,” he stated.
From February 2026, the rotavirus vaccine and the pneumococcal vaccine will be included in the national vaccination schedule. These vaccines are the result of resources mobilized by the UNICEF National Committee together with Brazilian society and reach the country through the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).
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