29 Jan 2011

ANGOLA / POLIO ERADICATION

After almost eradicating polio, Angola is once again struggling to eliminate the crippling disease. UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake and partners visited Angola this week to reinforce their commitment to eradicating polio and to strengthen the Government of Angola’s commitment to the effort. UNICEF

Posted at: January 29, 2011 12:01 am

Duration: 02:45

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: ANGOLA / POLIO ERADICATION 
TRT: 2:45
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / PORTUGUESE / NATS
 
DATELINE: 24 – 26 JANUARY 2011, LUANDA, ANGOLA
 
SHOTLIST
 
1.     Wide shot, trash to shacks and harbour
2.     Wide shot, shacks and harbour
3.     Wide shot, ship and shacks
4.     Wide shot, cranes and buildings
5.     Med shot, cranes
6.     Wide shot, street sweepers
7.     Zoom out, man with polio
8.     Med shot, delegation meeting family
9.     Various shots, delegation talking to family
10.   Med shot, little girl
11.   Med shot, mother and little girl
12.   Close up, little girl
13.   Med shot, UNICEF Executive Dierctor Anthony Lake comforting little girl
14.   SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF:
"Angola had almost defeated polio five years ago and then it was re-imported and broke out in Angola and especially in Luanda it has now spread to neighboring countries. What is being done in this community is especially important for the children of this community, and we saw one young girl who is already partially paralyzed but every human tragedy here in Angola is a threat to the whole world."
15.  Wide shot, sign to community
16.  Med shot, mother and child
17.  Med shot, delegation reviewing vaccination coverage
18.  Med shot, Mr Lake investigating cold chain fridge
19.  Med shot, Dr. Masthisdiso Moeti vaccinating infant
20.  Close up, infant
21.  SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Assistant Regional Director, WHO Africa:
"I think one of the biggest challenges that the country faces is the human resources situation because it's clear that at all levels, at the clinic level, at the municipal level, at the district level and even at the level of the ministry of health, there really needs to be more people, more qualified staff, better qualified staff in order to be able to do this work."
22. Various shots, infant receiving vaccination                  
23. Various shots, Lake with health workers
24. Various shots, health worker in the community
25.  SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Paulino Joao Sebastiao, Community Health Worker: 
"For my future it's my dream to become a nurse and always to look after the children of the community and to accompany the vaccination campaigns, I'm so used to this and I want to keep doing it.
26. Various shots, conference room
 
STORYLINE:

Shacks in Luanda's Kikolo neighbourhood overlook freight ships laden with building materials paid for by oil. Oil is harbinger of Angola's wealth, it pays for the spate of construction and new found wealth taking over the world's third most expensive city. But for the shack dwellers, this wealth is another world. They live in poverty, without electricity, without water, surrounded by trash, pollution and disease. 
 
Last year saw the worst outbreak of polio in Luanda since its re-emergence in May 2005, before which Angola had been free of the crippling disease for three consecutive years.

UNICEF executive Director, Tony lake, president of the Global Health Programme of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Tachi Yamada and Africa Assistant Regional Director for WHO, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti visited the country to seek renewed political commitment for eradicating the disease.
 
They visited the Nzongo family in Luanda's Cacuaco municipality, whose 18 month old daughter has contracted and been paralysed by polio. They offered the family comfort and support.
 
SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF:
"Angola had almost defeated polio five years ago and then it was reimported and broke out in Angola and especially in Luanda it has now spread to neighboring countries. What is being done in this community is especially important for the children of this community, and we saw one young girl who is already partially paralyzed but every human tragedy here in Angola is a threat to the whole world."

The key to eliminating polio is vaccination and the delegation visited the Vila da Paz clinic in Cacuaco that caters to over 40 000 people, providing primary health care and vaccines. They reviewed the clinic's vaccination coverage and examined the polio cold chain refrigeration before dispensing polio vaccines to waiting infants.
 
SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Assistant Regional Director, WHO Africa:
"I think one of the biggest challenges that the country faces is the human resources situation because it's clear that at all levels, at the clinic level, at the municipal level, at the district level and even at the level of the ministry of health, there really needs to be more people, more qualified staff, better qualified staff in order to be able to do this work."

Which is why success in defeating polio is so dependent on the involvement of all sectors of society and, in particular, volunteer community health workers. The delegation met with the team of workers based at the Vila da Paz clinic and praised their commitment.
 
One volunteer community health worker, Paulino Joao Sebastiao, himself contracted polio during the civil war and now walks with a pronounced limp. He goes door to door in his neighbourhood making sure children are immunized and sleeping under mosquito nets.
 
SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Paulino Joao Sebastiao, Community Health Worker: 
"For my future it's my dream to become a nurse and always to look after the children of the community and to accompany the vaccination campaigns, I'm so used to this and I want to keep doing it.

The delegation also met with Angolan President Eduardo dos Santos who agreed to spearhead the country's 2011 vaccination campaigns and to ensure they are conducted with determination and efficiency. The pledge was echoed by ministers, vice ministers, governors, civil society and the private sector, who agreed to work together towards improving vaccination coverage.