Japan and UNICEF Strengthen Health Cold Network Chain

The Government of Japan, in partnership with UNICEF Honduras, has provided equipment and supplies to ensure adequate vaccine storage in primary care network health facilities.

This will improve the cold network in Comprehensive Health Centres, Primary Care Units and General Hospitals.

The cooperation of the people of Japan and Unicef ​​supports the government of Honduras’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic by strengthening capacities for vaccine deployment, which includes the acquisition of cold chain equipment and strengthening institutional capacity to manage the CCE cold chain team and other key aspects of vaccine management.

In order to achieve optimal vaccination coverage, the Government of Japan and Unicef ​​​​have delivered a batch of 342 refrigerators to the State of Honduras to ensure adequate storage of vaccines in primary care network health facilities.

This refrigeration equipment will also be used for the proper storage of regular schedule vaccines, namely the Measles, Rubella, and Mumps (SRP) and Polio vaccines.

For his part, the Japanese ambassador to Honduras, Jun NAKAHARA, said that “the COVID-19 pandemic has left us with lessons learned on the aspects that we need to improve and strengthen”.

“This is how, in joining efforts with the Unicef ​​agency, the government of Japan has allocated a cooperation for two million dollars, to globally strengthen the cold chain for the correct conservation of vaccines, not just COVID -19 vaccines,” he said.

The cold network equipment lot contains three types of refrigerators: 277 vaccine refrigerators, each with a net storage volume of 98 liters.

39 refrigerators each with a net storage volume of 145 litres. 26 direct-drive solar-powered water-cooled refrigerators and freezers without batteries with 36-litre storage.

With this cooperation, the net storage volume of the cold network is strengthened to a total of 33,737 litres. To strengthen the cold chain at the first level of healthcare, a 36-liter solar refrigerator, 98-liter electric or 145-liter electric refrigerator will be delivered per Healthcare institution, depending on the context of the Healthcare institution.

Together with the technicians of the cold network of the Extended Immunization Program (PAI) of Sesal, who have an inventory of the state of the cold network, a distribution of the equipment was carried out according to some criteria.

UNICEF Representative in Honduras, Mark Connolly, explained that “the government of Japan, together with UNICEF and other cooperation agencies, makes systematic cooperation efforts to ensure the promotion of safe and free vaccine, strengthening the network of cold and training health personnel and the community in order to obtain greater vaccination coverage throughout the national territory, especially for boys and girls”.

For his part, the head of Sesal, José Manuel Matheu, thanked the important help that has been given to the Honduran people, with which the quality of vaccination is strengthened.