As their visit to Angola came to a close today, Mr. Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director, Dr. Tachi Yamada, president of the Global Health Program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Assistant Regional Director for WHO Africa, welcomed commitments by the Government and partners to rid the country of the scourge of polio. Dr. Yamada, Dr. Moeti and Mr. Lake also renewed their own commitment to achieving this critical goal.

In a meeting with the delegation Monday, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos reaffirmed the Government´s and his personal commitment to eliminating polio. He agreed to spearhead the country’s 2011 vaccination campaigns and ensure that they are conducted with determination and efficiency. Later at a special meeting of the National Council on Children, this pledge was echoed by Vice Ministers, Vice Governors and civil society organizations, who agreed they would work across the country to improve vaccination coverage.

Full press release
The Twin Faces of Polio in Angola: Tachi Yamada of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation blogs his trip.