Cold storage for 30 days

VACCINES can now be transported to the remotest parts of the country and stored using cold boxes for long periods, thanks to the Japanese government.
During a ceremony yesterday, 84 cold boxes and 300 mobile tablets procured by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) under a US$3 million (about K10mil) emergency grant aid for promotion of vaccination was handed to the PNG Government.
In addition, 500 user-programmable temperature sensors or monitoring device with blue tooth connections are to arrive later.
Health secretary Dr Osborne Liko said these long-term passive vaccine storage and transport containers could keep vaccines in the recommended temperature for 30 days without use of power.
“This will build the capacity of remote facilities and communities to transport and keep vaccines viable that they can effectively vaccinate people living in hard-to-reach remote communities,” he said.
Liko said the continuous monitoring of vaccine storage temperatures with sensors for refrigerators at health facilities would ensure the quality of vaccine was maintained and the 300 tablets would expand the medical supply (mSupply) logistic information management system in 300 new sites.
“This will improve the vaccine visibility in service delivery levels to avoid stock-out and minimise wastage of vaccines.
“This focus on vaccination will help PNG in both its Covid-19 (Coronavirus) vaccine rollout as well as vaccination programmes.
“All provincial health authority (PHA) will benefit from this.”
Dr Liko said PNG had received personal protective equipment (PPE), oxygen concentrators, hand-washing and educational supplies from Japan and this donation was part of a larger package and precedes a further donation that would include:

PROCUMENT, supply and installation of 172 vaccine refrigerators and four cold rooms;
30 vehicles to support and improve immunisation service;
SIX incinerators to safely treat clinical waste; and,
TWO generators at national and provincial vaccine stores.