Angola has officially launched its National Immunization Strategy (NIS) 2026-2030, aimed at strengthening the country’s Expanded Program on Immunization and safeguarding children’s health. The Strategy sets ambitious targets aligned with WHO recommendations and global immunization goals, emphasizing equity, sustainability, and integration of vaccination services into the national health agenda. Developed through a participatory and evidence-based process, the NIS benefited from technical guidance from WHO, covering situational analysis, priority setting, needs assessment, and the creation of a monitoring framework.
According to Health Minister Dr. Sílvia Lutucuta, the launch of the Strategy coincides with Angola’s 50th independence anniversary, underscoring the government’s commitment to protecting every child as an investment in the nation’s future. The NIS outlines clear objectives, including achieving 90% vaccination coverage by 2030, reducing the number of unvaccinated children to below 5%, maintaining polio-free status, eliminating neonatal tetanus, and meeting measles elimination targets. Key focus areas include strengthening cold chain systems, sustainable financing, ongoing workforce training, and improved epidemiological surveillance and outbreak response.
Recent achievements under the Expanded Program on Immunization, such as introducing the HPV vaccine to over 2.2 million girls, reflect Angola’s ongoing commitment to reducing preventable diseases and expanding immunization coverage. Implementation of the NIS will rely on close collaboration between the Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank, Rotary International, and other partners to support vaccination activities, professional training, updated technical standards, and the deployment of new vaccine storage technologies.
WHO Representative in Angola, Dr. Indrajit Hazarika, emphasized that the NIS 2026-2030 aligns with international best practices and reiterated WHO’s commitment to supporting Angola in ensuring all children across the country have access to life-saving vaccines. The Strategy represents a decisive step toward integrating vaccination into primary health care and enhancing the country’s capacity to prevent and respond to vaccine-preventable diseases.
