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 The outbreak began a year ago in a slum in the capital, Luanda,
before spreading throughout Angola, a war-scarred southeast African
nation, and into neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. In all,
more than 400 people died.
More than 15 million Angolans and 10 million Congolese were
vaccinated under a campaign coordinated by the World Health
Organization (WHO).
In a statement entitled "The end of the epidemic of Yellow Fever in
Angola", the health ministry in Luanda said the vaccination campaign
had stopped the spread of the disease.
The WHO said in September the epidemic was under control but that it
was too early to say it had been completely stamped out, with up to
6,000 suspected cases of the mosquito-borne disease.
The vaccination campaigns depleted the global stockpile of 6 million
doses twice this year, forcing doctors to switch to administering
one-fifth of the normal dose, a tactic that the WHO says gives at
least temporary protection.
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The risk of such outbreaks globally has risen in recent years due to
urbanization and the increasing mobility of the population. It was
particularly acute this year because of the El Nino weather
phenomenon which multiplied mosquito numbers.
Yellow fever is transmitted by the same mosquitoes that spread the
Zika and dengue viruses. The "yellow" in the name refers to the
jaundice that affects some patients.
(Reporting by Herculano Coroado; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Ed
Cropley and Louise Ireland)
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