New Bid to Halt Polio in Angola

(BBC News - Oct 1, 2010)  A mass polio immunisation campaign is starting in Angola in a bid to vaccinate all children under five.

The campaign is part of a series of programmes aimed at stopping a polio outbreak that has paralysed 24 children this year alone. Over 7 million vaccine doses are set to be delivered.  The World Health Organisation (WHO) says previous attempts to stop the virus circulating failed because too few children were vaccinated.

This outbreak in Angola started in 2007 and the WHO now considers it the greatest risk to Africa's polio eradication efforts.

Polio is a highly infectious virus which mainly infects young children. It is transmitted through contaminated food and water and once it enters the intestine it multiplies and can spread into the nervous system. "The good news is that we know this outbreak could be stopped very rapidly”  Oliver Rosenbauer,  Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

In the worst cases, polio causes paralysis which is often permanent. Current vaccines are highly effective in protecting children against infection. This outbreak, despite previous vaccination campaigns, has now spread to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The virus can only be stopped if all children receive the vaccine. The WHO estimates that in some areas of Angola more than a third of at risk children have not been immunised. Oliver Rosenbauer, spokesperson for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative at the WHO said: "Children across Angola, and indeed Africa, will continue to be paralysed by this awful virus, and it's completely needless because it could so easily be prevented.

One of Angola's Natural Wonders.

Angola is home to some relatively unknown treasures of this world. As spectacular as any other world-wonder, the Black Rocks of Pungo Andongo rise up majestically over the African savanne landscape. Known locally as the Pedras Negras de Pungo Andongo, these rocks are one of the main tourist sites of the Malanje province. They are steeped in history and intrigue, since no one really knows how the colossal rocks, some up to 200 metres high, came to be here as their geological formation is out of keeping with the surrounding savannah.

Legend has it that in the sixteenth century, Pungo Andongo was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Ndongo ruled by King Ngola Kiluanji and Queen Ginga Mbandi. Rock carvings found there are said to represent footprints of the fleeing queen who was disturbed by soldiers as she bathed in a stream at the foot of the stones.

In later years, the Portuguese established a military fort among the rocks which was notorious in Portugal. Its name was used to scare naughty children, their parents telling them they 'would end up in Pungo Andongo" if they misbehaved. In the 1920's political prisoners were held at the fort and during Angola's civil war the rocks were a key battleground between opposing forces. (Sonangol Universo Magazine, Sept 2010)

Angola's Day on the World Stage

Yesterday, Angola received a moment in the world spotlight during 'Angola Day' at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China. Of the 228 countries and international organizations that are participating in the six month Exposition, yesterday was Angola's day to be showcased.

The World Expo is essentially a global exhibition where the participating world countries can not only develop their relationship with the host country China, but also create and grow national, commerical, and cross-culture dialogues with visiting dignitaries from around the world.

In a ceremony chaired by the Angolan Vice President, Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, the Vice President explained to the public at the venue the current political and economic situation of Angola, highlighting the Angola' growing economic potential and the government’s commitment to improving the living conditions of citizens.

The design of the Angola Pavilion was inspired by the welwitchia mirabilis, a flower unique to Angola.  The brightly-colored dangling straps on the pavilion's exterior walls resemble the leaves of the flower that lives between 300 to 1,000 years. 

The graceful, modern and attractive pavilion has the theme of 'Angola Ensures a Better Life,"  Divided into seven exhibition areas, the pavilion exhibited Angola's diversified landscapes and beautiful scenery, history, and culture. The second floor of the pavilion houses a business center, which is a platform for cooperation and exchanges between Angola and investors from different parts of the world.

New Hope for Angola's Amputees

Benadito Cacoma Boeis, now 27, was 12-years-old when he was walking down to the river in his native Luena to wash his shorts and go for a swim. It was a sunny day and his friends were already in the water, calling to him to jump in. Just at the water’s edge, he stepped on a landmine that instantly destroyed both of his legs.

This is an all too common story in the lives of many Angolans living in rural areas. The amputee population in Angola has been calculated as being over 100,000, the highest in the world, of which 8,000 are children under the age of fifteen.

Following the 27-year civil war which ended in 2002, Angola is one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world. The Landmine Impact Survey of 2007 identified 1,988 communities as impacted by landmines and other remnants of conflict, with all 18 provinces, and an estimated 2.4 million people affected.

Despite these grave statistics, great progress has been made by multinational deming groups in clearing landmines and providing rehabilitation services to the heavily affected Angolan peoples. These NGO groups help thousands of Angolan demobilized soldiers and disabled civilians regain their dignity and become productive citizens through physical and psychosocial rehabilitation.

Besides the detailed process of individually examining and fitting the proper prosthesis to each amputee, counseling is given to address the social and psychological issues that often prevent war-wounded and other disabled Angolans from leading productive lives by partnering with a local organization to carry out educational and counseling activities. Recreational and sports activities are offered through the “Sports for Life” program, which demonstrates to both patients and their communities that those with war injuries can still be active, competitive and productive.

New Science in Detecting Landmines!   Weeds and humans to the rescue! Scientists in Denmark have been tinkering with Arabidopsis thaliana (the homely Thale cress) trying to produce a plant whose flowers will change color in the presence of landmines.
“Within three to six weeks from being sowed over land mine infested areas the small plant…will turn a warning red whenever close to a land mine.” Arabidopsis can be genetically sensitized to the nitrogen-dioxide (NO2) that leaches from buried explosives.

Arabidopsis, lab rat of the plant world, sprouts and blossoms quickly. “The seeds could be dropped from an airplane over a suspected minefield. After a few weeks of growth, soldiers and civilians could judge by the plants’ colours whether the area is safe. The plants could be a huge help to civilians who want to reclaim farmland after a war.” (Human Flower Project 2008)