Angola: opposition criticizes management of yellow fever epidemic

As yellow fever epidemic persist in Angola, leader of the country’s opposition Social Revival Party,Eduardo Cuangana; has condemned the management of the epidemic saying the authorities should have acted earlier.

“The only province where we had no information was Uíge. We counted six cases of people affected by yellow fever. It is a very worrisome situation. People in government could have taken care of it before it escalates. But they waited to the last moment to do the necessary: to use vaccines” he said.

According to Angolan government statistics, the ongoing yellow fever epidemic has killed 125 people out of 664 suspected cases since December 30 last year, despite attempts to quell the outbreak.

The country’s health ministry said on Friday that the centre of the health crisis remains in the capital Luanda, where 92 people have died.

There is no specific treatment for yellow fever, it is a viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquito.

Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Angola, Hernando Agudelo had expressed full support to the Angolan authorities in the fight against the epidemic which is ravaging the city of Viana.