From the newsletter
Vaccines lower the risk of people contracting climate-sensitive infectious diseases. However, it is challenging to keep vaccines at correct temperatures in rural off-grid areas in Africa. In an exclusive interview, Ali Umar, an experienced cold chain officer in Nigeria, explains how solar direct drive refrigerators have helped in preserving vaccines in rural areas.
Vaccines can only work if they are administered while still potent, meaning while capable of providing protection against diseases. This is only possible if a cold chain is maintained. This means storing the vaccines within a temperature range of 2°C to 8°C, from the time they are manufactured until they are administered.
“We used to administer non-potent vaccines and it led to so many outbreaks. These refrigerators have been essential in making vaccines safe and accessible,” says Mr Umar.
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As a cold chain officer, what is your role in maintaining vaccines within the correct temperatures?
My name is Ali Umar, and I work with the Kumbotso Local Government cold chain unit. My job is to maintain what is called the cold chain system for vaccines. This covers the whole process from the factory all the way to the recipient. My responsibility is to ensure that the vaccines maintain their vigor by keeping them within the correct temperature range, which is between two and eight degrees Celsius. I oversee this process to make sure that no matter what happens along the way, the vaccines remain safe and effective for use.
How do you ensure vaccines remain potent in the solar direct drive refrigerator?
To make sure that the vaccines are kept in good condition, we take temperature readings twice every day, once in the morning and once in the evening. The solar direct drive refrigerator has proven to be very reliable, but we do not just depend on it blindly. We also use a monitoring device called a pre-stack. This device keeps records of the temperature and indicates if anything unusual happens, even during the night when we are not physically present. If the device alerts us to a problem, it means that by the next day, we will know whether the refrigerator has had a fault. In the event that the SDD breaks down, we already have an emergency plan in place. I immediately move the vaccines into a cold box and take them to a designated contingency site so that they are not exposed to heat or freezing temperatures that could damage their potency. This quick response system ensures that the vaccines remain safe even when unexpected issues arise.
How long has this technology been in use in Kumbotso?
The solar direct drive technology has been in use here for a long time. Personally, I have worked with it for at least 12 years, but the system itself has been operating for more than 20 years. My role during this period has been to maintain the cold chain and to make sure that at no point does the system break down. Over the years, the technology has continued to prove its worth because it has enabled us to keep vaccines potent and ready for use in immunisation programmes without interruption.
What other equipment do you use alongside the SDD refrigerator?
In addition to the solar direct drive refrigerator, we also make use of cold boxes, vaccine carriers and other insulated containers to transport vaccines between different points. We pay close attention to the readings because any temperature below minus one degree is considered a freezing excursion, while anything above plus eight degrees is considered a heat excursion. We manage different types of vaccines, including those that are sensitive to freezing and those that are sensitive to heat. The monitoring device is always in place, recording the temperature history so that if anything unusual happens, we can trace it and take action immediately. This continuous monitoring is essential because even a slight deviation in temperature can affect the potency of the vaccines.
How beneficial has the solar direct drive refrigerator been for your work and the local community?
The solar direct drive refrigerator has been extremely beneficial. Without this technology and the monitoring devices that work with it, there would be a real danger of administering non-potent vaccines to people, which could lead to outbreaks of diseases. With the SDD in place, we are confident that vaccines remain effective, and as a result we have seen a clear decline in the number of outbreaks. It has made a big difference for the local government and for the communities we serve because people can trust that the vaccines they receive are safe and effective.
Can you describe the process of collecting and distributing vaccines?
There are two main systems for collecting and distributing vaccines, which we call the pushing system and the pulling system. Under the pushing system, vaccines are transferred from the local government area directly to facilities according to their allocation and the targets set for them. In contrast, the pulling system is used when a facility’s stock of vaccines is running low. In that case, the ward focal person makes a request and comes here to collect more vaccines. It is important to note that not just anyone can come to collect vaccines. Only authorised personnel such as WHO technical officers and facility in-charges are allowed to do so. Once they collect the vaccines, they also have the responsibility of keeping them in the SDD refrigerator to maintain their potency until they are used.
How do you mobilise communities to attend immunisation sessions?
Not all caregivers bring their children to immunisation sessions on their own, so we have systems in place to mobilise communities. Vaccines are first supplied from the zone satellite to the local government, and then to the individual facilities. Each facility has its own plan and sets specific dates for immunisation. Once those dates are fixed, a town announcer is tasked with mobilising the community by informing people living in the catchment area. The immunisation sessions are of two types. In fixed sessions, families living within 2 km of the facility bring their children directly to the health centre. For those living between 2 and 5 km away, we organise outreach sessions where health workers travel to reach them. Again, the town announcer plays a key role by informing the community in advance so that families are ready when the health workers arrive.
How do you address challenges such as education barriers in settlements during campaigns?
To overcome education barriers, we rely on community leaders. During campaigns, we call them from each settlement or hamlet to meetings where we sensitise them on the importance of immunisation. Once they understand, they cascade this information to their community members. They also take responsibility for providing data about the number of eligible children in their area. At the end of the campaign, they report back with the numbers, and we compile these to ensure that all children are covered. This system works very well because the leaders are trusted within their communities, and their involvement makes it easier for us to reach people who might otherwise be hesitant or unaware.