Area: 1,124,670 km²
Population: 10,145,567 inhabitants (July 2000 estimation )
Capital: Luanda
Currency:  New Kwanza
Official Language: Portuguese
Bordering Countries:  Congo, R.D. Congo, Zambia, Namibia 

Angola (Cabinda enclave not shown)   

Out of 192 countries, Angola ranks 179^th for life expectancy, 180^th for infant mortality, 144^th for GNP per capita, 181^st for daily calorie intake, 166^th for literacy, 152^nd for the percentage of children in full-time education .  (source: Atlas Encyclopédique Mondial, Nathan Ed., Paris 1996, pp.74-75). 

Concerning the epidemiology of malaria, Angola can be divided up into roughly 3 zones:

The north east of the country (provinces of Uige, Kuanza Norte, Malanje, Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul) and the enclave of Cabinda: annual rainfall of 1,000 to 1,600 mm, average hygrometry of 80%, average temperature from 21°C to 26°C, countryside consisting of savannah and forest. The transmission of malaria is perpetual and hyperendemic (equatorial facies of the Mouchet et al classification).

The north west of the country (the provinces of Zaire, Kuanza Sul, Luanda, Bengo, Benguela, Huambo, Bié): annual rainfall   from 200 to 1,000 mm, average hygrometry of 80%, average temperature from 21°C to   26°C, countryside consisting of savannah. The transmission of malaria is seasonally long (tropical facies of the Mouchet et al classification).

The South of the country (the provinces of Moxico, Kunene, Huila, Namibe and Kuando Kubango): annual rainfall   from 100 to 600 mm, average hygrometry of 50 %, average temperature from 21°C to 23°C, countryside consisting of savannah and steppe. The transmission of malaria is seasonally short, from February until April-May (sahelian facies of the Mouchet et al classification).

Epidemiological facies of malaria in Angola according to 
the classification of J. Mouchet et al.: Equatorial (I), Tropical (II), Sahelian (III).)   

Plasmodium falciparum is the main species of parasite (92 p. 100 cases) However, Plasmodium ovale (7 p.100) and Plasmodium malariae  (1 p.100)   are   also found. 

The rate of malaria-linked morbidity fluctuates greatly (see table) but this fluctuation is in fact a reflection of the variations in the reported cases due to the civil war.

Reported malaria cases from 1987 to 1996 (F. Fortes, comm. pers.)   

The principal malaria vectors in Angola are Anopheles gambiae,  (F. Fortes, comm. pers.).

Jacques Brunhes et al.(Les anophèles de la région afro-tropicale, logiciel ORSTOM Ed., 1998) compiled a list of 47 different species of anopheles within the country: Anopheles ardensis, Anopheles argenteolabatus, Anopheles austenii, Anopheles azevedoi, Anopheles barberellus, Anopheles brunnipes, Anopheles caliginosus, Anopheles cinctus, Anopheles concolor, Anopheles coustani, Anopheles cydippis, Anopheles demeilloni, Anopheles distinctus, Anopheles duremi, Anopheles flavicosta, Anopheles funestus, Anopheles fuscivenomus, Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles harperi, Anopheles implexus, Anopheles jebudensis, Anopheles leesoni, Anopheles listeri, Anopheles longipalpis, Anopheles maculipalpis, Anopheles marshallii, Anopheles melas, Anopheles natalensis, Anopheles nili, Anopheles njombiensis, Anopheles obscurus, Anopheles paludis, Anopheles pharoensis, Anopheles pretoriensis, Anopheles rhodesiensis rhodesiensis, Anopheles rivulorum, Anopheles ruarinus, Anopheles rufipes rufipes, Anopheles schwetzi, Anopheles squamosus, Anopheles tchekedii, Anopheles tenebrosus, Anopheles theileri, Anopheles walravensi, Anopheles wellcomei ugandae, Anopheles wellcomei wellcomei   and Anopheles ziemanni.   

1. Resistance to chloroquine:  

In 1987, an in vivo study on 69 patients produced results showing a chloroquine resistance rate of 16% (Justiz).  Another study, dated 1984, this time on 122 cases of malaria imported to Cuba from Angola produced results that showed a chloroquine resistance rate of 4.5% (Molina).

2. Resistances to other antimalarial drugs  

The sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine combination: the first case of resistance was reported in 1985 (Lindberg).

No other report has been published on this subject.   However a non published 1986 report records resistance to chloroquine of type I, II and III in addition to amodiaquine   resistance of type I in Luanda   as well as a resistance to chloroquine of type I and II in Cabinda, without giving any precisions on the number of people tested nor on the types of test used (F. Fortes, comm. pers.).

The political situation of the country does nothing to help the fight against malaria.  A national program exists, under the part time direction of Docteur Filomeno Fortes (who is also the part time director of Wide scale endemics), who unfortunately has hardly any funding and lacks the means to a national political awareness campaign. 

  The program, which remains rather theoretical in nature, aims at the prevention of death from the illness and a reduction of malaria linked morbidity in sufferers under the age of 5 and pregnant women.

Recommended antimalarial drugs are:   

First line treatment: c hloroquine and amodiaquine

Second Line treatment: halofantrine, mefloquine,   sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine combination

Third Line treatment: quinine

Artemisinine derivatives are not in official circulation within the country.   

According to the B.E.H. n°24-25 of the 14th June 2005, Angola is classified in chloroquine-resistance group III. This signifies that a traveler spending less than 3 months in the country should take the Mefloquine or the Atovaquone-Proguanil combined treatment.