UN hands over cold chain facilities to preserve vaccines in Myanmar

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have handed over a cold chain facility, which can preserve an eight-month supply of six types of vaccinations for all of Myanmar, to the country’s Ministry of Health.

The $440,000 facility, comprising three cooler rooms and four freezer rooms, provides much-needed storage capacity as the number of health campaigns increases in the wake of May’s devastating Cyclone Nargis.

It will store vaccines for mass campaigns, including polio and measles, as well as those for measles and hepatitis B.

“Immunization is vital in the survival of Myanmar’s children, especially in areas affected by disaster, where diseases easily spread,” said Osamu Kunii, Health and Nutrition Chief with UNICEF in Myanmar.

He stressed the importance of cold chain facilities to protect life-saving vaccines in ensuring that immunization campaigns are successful.

In a related development, UNICEF has pledged to continue assisting victims of the Cyclone Nargis until their lives have been rebuilt.

More than 4,000 schools and 600 health centres were destroyed or damaged by the storm, which separated hundreds of children from their families. The agency is focusing restoring a sense of normalcy for children and stressing the importance of returning to school.

“This operation will last at least one year and depends on continued access to the affected areas,” said Ramesh Shrestha, UNICEF Representative in Myanmar.

He said that much remains to be done, including distributing family kits, providing clean water and immunizing children.

Last month, the agency’s Director of Emergency Programs visited the South-East Asian nation, and found that while the recovery operation is going well, many challenges remain.

“It’s a very difficult environment,” said Louis-George Arsenault, who travelled to Bogalay in the Ayeyarwady division, one of the hardest-hit areas.

“But the catastrophe has opened several doors,” he said, citing the example of education, where he believes UNICEF can make a positive difference.

The agency hopes to boost social services for children and their families through such means as building child-friendly spaces which an also be used as community centres.

Mr. Arsenault expressed his amazement at the victims’ resilience. “Communities have begun remarkable recovery efforts n the face of enormous difficulties.”