Geneva — The Health Minister, Luís Gomes Sambo, stressed on Monday in Geneva (Switzerland), the efforts of the Angolan Government and partners in the fight against yellow fever outbreak plaguing the country since December 2015.
The official said so while addressing the general debate of the 69th World Health Assembly, taking place in the Palace of Nations, under the main theme "Transforming Our World: Agenda 2030 for sustainable development.
"A total of 298 deaths were reported, the age group between 15 and 29 years the most affected", he said, explaining that the Aedes aegypti mosquito exists in almost countrywide.
He said that the government created a working group with the participation of technical partners and developed a National Response Plan to the Outbreak, which includes five main components: surveillance of the disease, vaccination, integrated vector control, clinical care and social mobilization.
The official announced that the Government, which considers the outbreak as a priority, availed approximately USD 70 million to cover the cost of yellow fever vaccines, essential drugs and operating expenses.
He informed that the Angolan government has decided to vaccinate the entire population, and about eight million people have been vaccinated; recording at this time a trend to decrease the number of new cases and deaths.
The official reiterated the full commitment of the Angolan Government to ensuring the essential health care to the population and measures with a view to ending the yellow fever outbreak.
The minister Luís Gomes Sambo thanked WHO mission integrated by its Director-General, Margareth Chan, and Regional Director for Africa, Moeti, that visited Angola to assist the Government in response measures to the yellow fever outbreak.
