On Thursday, 10th April 2025, the Kitui County Ministry of Health and Sanitation made a significant stride in enhancing vaccine storage capacity, thanks to the support of key health partners. This development aims to improve the delivery of immunization services across the county, ensuring that vaccines reach communities efficiently and safely.
Through the support of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) under the Cold Chain Equipment Optimization Platform (CCEOP), the county received a total of 61 cold chain units. These included 17 solar-powered and 44 electric-powered refrigerators, which were installed in selected health facilities by trained sub-county biomedical engineers. In addition, the county is set to receive 85 more cold chain units, comprising 50 electricity-powered and 35 solar-powered refrigerators. These were procured through UNICEF on behalf of the Ministry of Health, with support from the World Bank. The distribution of the first batch of 45 units began on 17th March 2025, while the remaining 40 units will be delivered upon installation and commissioning.
The expanded cold chain infrastructure is expected to greatly improve the safe storage of vaccines, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas. This milestone strengthens immunization services and reinforces efforts to protect children and pregnant mothers from preventable diseases across Kitui County.
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