Luanda, 04 July 2016 - As Angola’s yellow fever surveillance system across the country reports a remarkable decrease in the number of cases for the first time in six months, national authorities with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners are beginning a new phase in the outbreak response.

This phase aims to maintain the gains achieved and stop virus transmission by vaccinating the remaining districts with identified local transmission as well as carrying out preventive vaccination campaigns in districts bordering other countries. This process will scale up within the next couple of weeks to end transmission and stop the outbreak.

12 districts in six provinces with local transmission are being prioritized for vaccination, namely Bocoio (Benguela), Londuinbali and Longojo (Huambo), Gambos and Humpata (Huila), Cazengo (Cuanza Norte); and four districts bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo, namely: Maquela do Zombo (Uige); Capenda Camulenga, Caungula and Cuilo (Lunda Norte) to halt further transmission within and beyond Angola’s borders.

In addition, national authorities are intensifying vaccination campaigns in another 11 municipalities without confirmed cases but considered to be at high-risk. This is to create a preventative buffer zone.

Detected in December 2015 in the municipality of Viana in Luanda province, the yellow fever outbreak has spread to 79 municipalities in 16 of Angola’s 18 provinces. To date, 3,552 suspected cases have been reported, of which 875 cases have been laboratory confirmed.  355 deaths have been reported among suspected cases and 118 among confirmed cases. The high presence of the fellow fever mosquito due to this year higher raining conditions coupled with crowded settlements in the municipalities complicated this urban yellow fever outbreak.  Low availability of vaccines to vaccinate the entire population of the country remains one of the biggest constraints. To immunize the population at highest risk, Angola needs 10 million additional doses of yellow fever vaccine.

WHO continues to provide multidisciplinary technical support to the Government, covering all areas of the outbreak response, including support for acquisition and distribution of 15 million doses of vaccine to date, which have enabled mass vaccination campaigns in nine provinces with local transmission.

The vaccination of 11.2 million people to date is taking effect on virus transmission. The latest surveillance data as of 4th July shows the number of districts reporting suspected cases has reduced from 39 to 27, and the number of suspected cases has dropped from 170 to 88 compared with the previous week. Early signs indicate that the numbers of confirmed yellow fever cases have declined countrywide from 120 in May to only 14 cases in June. Additionally, the province of Luanda has experienced 34 consecutive days without reporting a confirmed case. In the same period, no local transmission has been reported in any new district in the entire country. Despite these improvements we cannot slacken our vigilance; we need to quickly detect all cases to completely truncate transmission in the country.

The Government with support from WHO and partners has improved diagnostic capability; entomological surveillance; intensified social mobilization and empowered communities to prevent mosquito bites; and strengthened multi-sectoral coordination. Efforts to ramp up all these operations are being amplified to stop the outbreak.

“Reactive vaccination in the areas reporting locally transmitted cases has begun to deliver results,” said Dr Hernando Agudelo, WHO Representative in Angola. “However, we need to move forward with pre-emptive vaccination in the border areas and areas with major transport and trade routes to limit further spread.”

Community engagement with the business sector, schools, markets, churches, water collection points and recreation centers at municipal and provincial level, will continue to be key in gaining trust for a community-led response. The country’s capacity to rapidly detect, test and treat cases continues to be crucial as the outbreak in Angola reaches this new operational phase.