20 January 2003
Luanda — About seven million children from nine months to less than 15 years old will be vaccinated in April and May 2003 against measles countrywide.
According to a source from the Enlarged Vaccination Programme (PAV), this campaign's objective is to reduce 75 per cent the number of measles cases.
Measles, a disease that can be prevented by vaccination, is responsible for the death of more than 7,000 children per year in Angola.
In each two to three years epidemic measles outbreaks occur due to the low vaccinal coverage.
In this framework, the Ministry of Health (MINSA) decided to carry out this campaign, for the first time and simultaneously in all provinces. The source added that, during the campaign vitamin "A" will be given to three million children from nine months to five years old.
According to the source, even if the child had already been vaccinated against measles or has been sick with malaria, cough, fever or any other disease, he/she should be vaccinated.
Vacciantion will be done in three phases in the following pattern: in the first phase it will done in all nusery schools in urban areas, lasting five days, in the second, it wil be in the fixed and advanced posts of the urban areas, lasting seven days.
In the last stage it will cover rural areas, by moving teams, during ten days.
For the success of this campaign, MINSA will count with the multi-sectoral participation of traditional authorities, churches, communication centres and national and foreign non governmental organisations.
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