Angola has begun a nationwide vaccination campaign to protect more than two million girls aged nine to 12 from cervical cancer by rolling out free, single-dose HPV vaccines across the country.
“Each dose is a victory against the disease and an investment in the future,” said Dr Tomás Valdez, Acting Representative of the World Health Organization, calling the campaign a decisive step to save lives.
Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women of reproductive age in Angola, with more than 2,000 new cases each year and around half proving fatal, despite being largely preventable. The campaign mobilises 1,667 vaccination teams visiting schools, health centres and communities, aiming to reach at least 70% of eligible girls in its first phase. It follows 16 years of preparation and places Angola firmly within the global effort to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030, protecting a generation of girls before the disease can take hold.
