ISLAMABAD: After noting a number of gaps in the cold chain management system, used to provide vaccines to children across the country, the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) has finalised a project to meet these deficiencies.

The project is worth $48 million dollars, will be completed with the support of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and will need almost three years to be fully implemented.

While the EPI has closed all the gaps in the cold management system at its main warehouse in Islamabad, a number of deficiencies remain in the supply chain, leading to fears that vaccines may spoil before reaching children in far off areas.

According to EPI National Programme Manager Dr Syed Saqlain Gilani, the system saw some reforms last year, but due to various issues it has been decided that the entire system should be upgraded within three years.

Gap in supply chains led to fears vaccines for children may expire before use in remote areas

“Our assessment survey revealed that electricity was unavailable at the cold chain system in 3pc of areas, which made it impossible to store vaccines in those areas,” he said.

“As many as 63pc of areas had electricity loadshedding for eight to 16 hours every day, and only 36pc of areas had electricity loadshedding for less than eight hours a day. The chances of the vaccines expiring are very high due to so much loadshedding, because it is very difficult to maintain the temperature.”

Most vaccines have to be stored at temperatures between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius and variations in temperature can cause vaccines to expire.

“We also observed that in some areas we don’t have the proper equipment, and in some areas the available equipment is very old and needs to be replaced immediately. It has been decided that equipment that is 10 years or older will be replaced,” Mr Gilani said.

“GAVI will cover 50pc of the project’s cost, and we have arranged the remaining sum. We also have assurances from various donor agencies that they will sponsor the remaining 50pc of the project cost, so the Government of Pakistan does not have to pay any sum,” he added.

He said the EPI would change the cold chain management system for vaccines completely within three years, after which vaccines would not expire due to temperature variations and the Pakistani system would be equivalent to those of developed countries.

In response to a question, Mr Gilani said other deficiencies included a human resource gap to efficiently manage the system, a lack of a maintenance planning process to keep equipment running, equipment downtime and poor data management at all levels, among other problems. He said these account for around 28pc of system non-functionality in the country.

“With an increasing population and the introduction of new vaccines, the storage capacity at various levels has become inadequate. The new cold chain equipment optimisation platform will ensure sufficient storage infrastructure for current and new vaccines by equipping storage points.”

Published in Dawn September 26th, 2016