Foroogh Foyouzat (L) presents nine ultra-cold chain freezers to the health ministry’s Or Vandine on November 1. UNICEF CAMBODIA
UNICEF provided ultra-cold chain (UCC) equipment worth nearly $60,000 to the Ministry of Health on November 1 to help the government establish UCC capability in the country’s public health services.
In a press statement on November 1, UNICEF said they will deliver more UCC equipment in the coming months as part of continued support for Cambodia’s health sector.
The equipment was funded by the Covax Facility and its Accelerated Supplies Financing Facility. UNICEF provides technical support to governments and coordinates procurement and logistics to ensure the equipment’s safe arrival, the press statement said.
It said the equipment consists of nine ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers, nine voltage stabilisers and spare parts required to maintain the ULT freezers for the long-term. These freezers can hold 2.4 million vaccines.
These freezers are essential for vaccines that must be stored at minus 70 to minus 80 degrees Celsius, such as Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines.
It said the UCC equipment will enable Cambodia to further diversify its Covid-19 vaccine portfolio to include mRNA jabs. The freezers could also be used in the future to support laboratory and research activities, and the possibility of expanding the capabilities of blood banks.
“Having UCC in place holds promise well beyond the pandemic to make routine vaccination more accessible for all Cambodians,” UNICEF said.
The delivery of these freezers to Cambodia is part of UNICEF’s global target of delivering of a total 350 ULT freezers to more than 45 countries on behalf of Covax – a global initiative aimed at ensuring equitable access to vaccines.
“UNICEF will continue to support the immunisation programme of the Cambodian government through planning and strategy development, vaccine management and demand generation, capacity building, and monitoring to ensure UCC standards are met,” it said.
Ministry of Health spokeswoman Or Vandine said the UCC equipment will contribute to Cambodia’s vaccination drive as the country may have to store vaccines for longer times in the future that may require very cold storage temperatures.
“We have to think ahead because currently some types of vaccines need to be stored in the cold chain at minus 70C or 80C. UCC will benefit Cambodia which has to be ready for other types of vaccines from Covax.
“Cambodia may also receive more vaccines from other countries through bilateral agreement,” she said.
Vandine said that so far Cambodia has not used any vaccines that require UCC equipment because the country did not have the storage capability. But now, any kind of vaccines will be welcomed.
“Today, it is another development for our vaccination work. I hope that these nine freezers will benefit future vaccination work,” she said.
