The vaccination party to protect the future

By: Olívio Gambo, WHO Angola communication officer.

In the last few days of March, Angola experienced yet another moment that reminded us of the value of coming together for a greater cause. The national polio vaccination campaign transformed neighborhoods, communes, and municipalities into a true celebration of life. Local authorities, families, community leaders, churches, young volunteers, health professionals, and national and international partners, including those from the private sector, joined forces to ensure that no child was left behind.

The images coming in from across the country spoke for themselves: young people wading through streams and pushing motorbikes along difficult paths, health workers traveling long distances to reach the most isolated families. The clatter of the caripandas, the comings and goings of the kupapatas (motorbike taxi drivers), the white T-shirts and hats filling the streets, the music and dancing on the ombalas created an atmosphere of joy, mobilization, and hope. The aim of this celebration was clear: to protect Angolan children with an essential, effective tool widely recommended worldwide: vaccination.

However, the question remains: what if this celebration were permanent? What if the mobilization we witnessed during the campaign happened every day? What if families, neighborhoods, and health centers adopted this spirit of responsibility in their daily lives? What if vaccinating a child became as natural as taking them to school?

Other countries have already demonstrated that this is possible. Experiences in Uzbekistan and Ghana show that strengthening mobile teams, improving the cold chain, adopting innovative logistics, and involving communities directly can drastically reduce the number of unvaccinated children.

In Uzbekistan, for example, the routine vaccination coverage rate currently stands at around 96%, thanks to ongoing investment in refrigeration infrastructure, logistics, and the expansion of immunization services. In Ghana, mobile teams and alternative modes of transport, including boats, have enabled a sixfold increase in the weekly vaccination reach in hard-to-reach areas. These examples show that, when there is collective will and committed leadership, change happens.

In Angola, against a backdrop of significant and encouraging progress in the health sector, estimates from the WHO and UNICEF indicate that more than half a million children had never received a single dose of vaccine at birth. These children, known as 'zero-dose', are completely exposed to preventable diseases. Although this figure is daunting, it should, above all, serve as a source of motivation: if vaccination becomes a constant practice, every neighborhood, every village, and every commune can become a place of protection and hope.

So, here's a simple thought: what if we started assessing municipalities and local authorities based on their vaccination rates, too? If we celebrate brilliant pupils, good managers, and good roads, why not celebrate communities that ensure their children are protected?

The challenges in Angola are real, but so are the solutions. The country continues to face obstacles to access and the continuity of vaccination services, including logistical challenges, remote and hard-to-reach communities, an insufficient number of vaccination technicians, and the persistence of misinformation, which fuels fear and hesitancy. Added to these problems are a shortage of transport for long distances and the fact that not all local leaders are fully committed to supporting immunization.

However, none of this is impossible to resolve. Other countries have faced similar challenges and moved forward with simple and effective solutions, such as more robust mobile teams, functional and stable cold chains, a regular supply of vaccines, ongoing awareness campaigns, and greater involvement of community, religious, and traditional leaders.

In Angola, local leaders have played a key role in mobilizing health support. They can do even more: encouraging families, alerting health facilities whenever shortcomings arise, and demanding improvements whenever there is a shortage of vaccines or the means to reach the most remote communities.

It is from this vibrant connection between the State, communities, and partners that real change is born. In this way, we will move away from relying solely on one-off campaigns and instead begin to establish habits that save lives and promote lasting social change. Angola now has a rare opportunity: to turn mass mobilizations into routine, to make vaccination a way of life, and to make it part of our identity as a people who protect their own.

History shows us that every child vaccinated represents a protected future. And when we protect the future, we protect Angola. The responsibility lies with everyone: from politicians to parents, from leaders to volunteers, from pastors to traditional chiefs. We can strengthen our culture of care, act responsibly, protect life, protect our own, and protect the country we are building. If every gesture counts, then this is the gesture that will shape generations: vaccinating, protecting, and caring. Let us vaccinate our children and protect Angola's future.

This article was first published in Jornal de Angola, a version of which can be found here: https://www.jornaldeangola.ao/noticias/9/opini%C3%A3o/673247/a-festa-da…