Health facilities in Western Bahr el Ghazal are improving their vaccine storage and immunization services following the installation of solar-powered refrigerators designed to keep life-saving vaccines safe, despite unreliable electricity.
The newly installed solar-powered refrigerators, provided by UNICEF and funded by GAVI, Canada, KFW, and ACDCC, aim to enhance storage capacity and address the challenges posed by inconsistent power supply for vaccine cooling.
James Philip Bazila, the Cold Chain Officer for the Expanded Programme on Immunization in Western Bahr el Ghazal State, oversees the condition of refrigerators, cold boxes, vaccine carriers, and the temperature of vaccines.
“I have various types of refrigerators available, including four KM-304 fridges, one freezer, and two Dometic TCW 200 units to keep vaccines cold and safe,” he said.
Bazila noted that the facility stores vaccines for polio, diphtheria, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B, measles, tuberculosis, tetanus, and pertussis.
“I would like to express my gratitude to UNICEF for installing this solar system. It operates continuously, 24 hours a day,” he said.
“It will only stop functioning on days when there is no sunlight. As long as the sun is present, power will be available.”
He explained that this solar system was installed two years ago to improve storage capacity and mitigate the impact of an unstable power supply at the storage facility.
“Before the solar system was installed, we relied on two generators to power the refrigerators. If one generator broke down, we used the other to maintain the vaccine cold chain. We did not have to purchase fuel ourselves, as it was supplied by UNICEF, which provided us with 14 drums every month.”
The Greater Bahr el Ghazal region comprises 27 cold chain hubs across four states and 23 counties, including the Abyei Special Administrative Area.
Solarization is a vital approach for reducing costs, sustaining immunization services, and ensuring the quality of the cold chain.
It has decreased fuel expenses from $1.2 million to $177,551, including generator maintenance and vaccine transportation costs, while also lowering carbon dioxide emissions from the generators.
The solarization initiative has also extended to other hospital departments, including the theater, outpatient department (OPD), laboratories, maternity, and admission wards, enhancing service provision from 12 hours to 24 hours.
Philip Lual, the monitoring and evaluation officer for expanded programs and immunization in Western Bahr el Ghazal State, stated that they conduct routine and supplementary immunizations for children and pregnant women to protect against diseases.
“In routine immunization, we aim for target coverage at different levels: at the country level, the state level, and the county level. Our goal is to achieve up to 80% coverage for all antigens,” said Lual.
He emphasized that vaccines are safe and protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Lual commended UNICEF for supplying cold chain equipment to enhance the management of the cold chain system in the state.
“UNICEF is supporting our supplies and the cold chain system. They provide cold chain equipment when we need it and support the staff managing the cold chain,” he said.
He added that the U.N. Children’s Fund supports the staff by providing them with incentives to motivate them and by supplying fuel for generators.
The solar system set up in Wau County, Jur River County, and Raja County includes lithium batteries and control units at the state, county, Payam, and Boma cold chain hubs.
The initiative aims to ensure vaccines are kept at the required temperature, thereby enhancing the immunization system in remote areas.
Noala Skinner, UNICEF Representative to South Sudan, emphasized the organization’s commitment to collaborating with donors and partners to meet the needs of children in South Sudan.
“We’ve been able to witness routine immunizations and the screening of children for malnutrition. It is incredibly important to catch malnutrition early,” said Skinner.
“If you can identify malnutrition early, you can treat it early, and children who are treated promptly are more likely to make a full and speedy recovery.”
The Cold Chain Equipment Optimisation Platform (CCEOP) project was established by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in 2015 as part of a strategy to strengthen vaccine supply chains and achieve better immunization equity and coverage.
Under the CCEOP project, UNICEF has bolstered cold chain systems across South Sudan by supporting procurement efforts for various UN agencies.
