UNCEF and Gavi announced in February 2024 that they have “handed over” four refrigerated trucks for vaccine transportation to the Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population in Kathmandu. The trucks will facilitate the “safe delivery” of “essential vaccines” from federal vaccine storage facilities to provincial and district stores.
This delivery comes just before a government measles and rubella (MR) vaccination campaign called “The Big Catch-up”, which will target “zero-dose children” and children who have not received all doses according to the national vaccination schedule. The campaign also provides vaccines that may have been missed during the COVID-19 pandemic, like vaccines that target polio and pneumococcal disease.
Greater capacity
Gavi states that each of the trucks is equipped with WHO-approved refrigeration units with a 24 cubic metre storage capacity, which can transport nearly 4 million doses of MR vaccines. The use of fewer trucks with greater capacity “helps decrease” carbon emissions in comparison with smaller, more frequent journeys across Nepal. UNICEF has allocated resources for the provision of the trucks from pooled funding.
Alongside the trucks, UNICEF, supported by Gavi, is working with the government to “strengthen various aspects of the national immunisation programme”. This includes the procurement of vaccines, improvement of cold chain systems, and enhancement of capacities for safe delivery. Through the Gavi-UNICEF collaboration the organisations will work with communities and local governments to identify zero-dose and under-immunised children. Furthermore, they will identify “barriers” that these children face to accessing the vaccines.
A timely delivery
The handover ceremony was marked by Director General, Department of Health Services, Dr Sangeeta Kaushal Mishra, who expressed “gratitude” for the “timely delivery of refrigerator trucks”. The delivery will “definitely help in the upcoming MR campaign”. Dr Mishra reflected that the population of zero-dose children is estimated to represent 4%.
Ms Temidayo Ogunruni, Senio Country Manager for Nepal at Gavi, congratulated the Government of Nepal for the “multi-antigen catch-up approach” in its upcoming MR campaign. Ms Ogunruni states that this will “ensure” vaccination for children who may have missed “critical routine vaccinations” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Today’s delivery underscores the importance of investing in infrastructure and supply chain management, with vaccine transportation a key part of ensuring lifesaving vaccines stay at appropriate temperatures and can be effectively delivered to communities.”
Ms Jee Hyun Rah, UNICEF Deputy Representative, stated that “current evidence” highlights an increase in zero-dose and under-immunised children in the country.
“These interventions aimed at increasing vaccine coverage are of critical need in protecting children as well as other vulnerable populations from the risks of vaccine-preventable diseases. As we strive to enhance immunisation programme coverage in Nepal, we must ensure the delivery of quality vaccines and reach the ‘last mile’ of the population, for which the significance of a strong cold chain, active community engagement, and robust behaviour change communication cannot be underestimated.”
Ms Rah commented that UNICEF “pledges its continued support in these efforts” to ensure that “no child is left unimmunised” in Nepal.
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