This is done in order to continue supporting the use of state-of-the-art technology in vaccination in the country.
EL NUEVO DIARIO, SANTO DOMINGO.- The Government of Japan and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) delivered to the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MISPAS), two cold room and freezer units combined with all the necessary accessories, mechanical and electrical equipment, with the aim of expanding the storage capacity of the vaccines and thus strengthening the cold chain in the Dominican Republic. It has an investment of US$830,342.47 dollars.
The two cold room units will be installed in the Directorate of Immunopreventables by Vaccines (DIV).
The donation included, in turn, 243 refrigerators that have been distributed throughout the national territory to facilitate access and immunization coverage to the general population, with special emphasis on children.
The award ceremony was headed by the Japanese ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Takagi Masahiro, the Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Rivera, the deputy representative of UNICEF, Anyoli Sanabria and the director of the Directorate of Vaccine-preventable Diseases (DIV), Dr. Aida Lucia Vargas.
The Minister of Public Health, Dr. Daniel Rivera, thanked the Government of Japan and UNICEF for the donation and said that “this cold room and the equipment found here will not only be used for vaccines against COVID-19, but will also leave a greater installed capacity for the entire Immunization Program in regular schemes, which contributes to biologicals reaching every girl and boy in the country safely and free of charge.”
He also announced that the Ministry of Health will build a warehouse in the province of Azua, where the second cold room of the project will be installed.
The Japanese ambassador in the Dominican Republic, Takagi Masahiro, indicated that “for the Japanese community it represents a social commitment, being able to help other nations develop their potential and even more when it comes to the health of the most vulnerable, with this accolade, we seek to expand the capacity for routine vaccination so that Dominican infants are benefited and can be protected against immunopreventable diseases”.
For her part, the deputy representative of UNICEF, Anyoli Sanabria, pointed out that “with this strategic alliance, we are collaborating to increase vaccination rates and reduce existing gaps in coverage throughout the country. We deeply appreciate the trust placed in UNICEF by the governments of Japan and the Dominican Republic, as we jointly join the immunization initiatives carried out throughout the world, aware that vaccinated children have greater chances of survival, development and of better results in school, which generates benefits in their lives and in the advancement of their communities”.
Cold room
The two units consist of 88 SureChill brand refrigerators with a 72.5 liter net storage volume capacity, 110 Vestfrost 98 liter capacity refrigerators, 45 Vestfrost 145 liter capacity refrigerators, 30 RTMS or remote temperature monitors for the refrigerators and cold rooms and 50 large cold boxes with a capacity of 22.5 liters to transport the biological during vaccination days.
The refrigerators and other cold chain equipment have been distributed by the Directorate of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (DIV), to all Provincial Directorates and Health Areas of the Ministry, as well as to the National Health Service (SNS) and their national network of providers, which will allow them to correctly store the vaccines and which will guarantee optimal temperatures for them.
This cooperation included training management, technical and health personnel in the use and maintenance of the mentioned devices; and within the framework of this contribution, two Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles were included, specifically manufactured under the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO); The internal temperature range of these vehicles is between +2°C – +8°C (in this temperature range most vaccines are preserved) acting as a mobile cold room.
The activity was also attended by Dr. Miguel Rodríguez Viñas, Vice Minister of Strengthening and Development of the Health Sector of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, as well as other directors of areas and managers of the aforementioned Ministry.
Importance of vaccines
Immunization is the process by which a person becomes resistant to a disease, either through contact with certain diseases or through the administration of a vaccine.
Vaccines also stimulate the body’s immune system to protect a person against infection or disease. Immunization prevents disease, disability, and death from vaccine-preventable diseases such as cervical cancer, polio, measles, rubella, mumps, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis A and B, pneumonia infections, rotavirus diarrheal diseases, and bacterial meningitis.
The cold chain
The “cold chain” is the logistical process of storage, conservation, handling and distribution of immunobiologicals, whose purpose is to ensure that they are preserved within the established temperature ranges so that they do not lose their immunological power in order to guarantee maintenance. of the immunizing potency from its manufacture to its administration.
The Dominican Republic has been managing a cold chain for more than 40 years, with the knowledge of the importance that the temperature must be maintained within the ranges established for each type of vaccine, since the effectiveness and safety of immunization depend on it. . The sensitivity of different vaccines to heat is varied.
Current panorama of vaccination in Latin America and the Caribbean
Data from Latin America and the Caribbean show that 3.9% of children in the richest decile have not been vaccinated, compared to 11.6% of those who belong to the poorest decile, reflecting a general decline in vaccination in the region.
Although immunization services in Latin America and the Caribbean reached more infants in 2022 compared to the previous year (2021), they are still a long way from universal coverage, according to the latest estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO). ) and UNICEF.
In the Dominican nation, work is being done to ensure that the population continues to complete their regular plan vaccination schedules, which, as in the rest of the world, have been left behind by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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2023-09-05 22:31:32
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