KENYA – B Medical Systems, a global leader in the vaccine cold chain industry in partnership with Toyota Tsusho Corporation have announced plans to roll out world’s first refrigerated vehicle for vaccine and cold specimen transportation in Africa.
The technology which was recently unveiled across the world will facilitate the safe delivery of vaccines to remote areas in their right temperature.
The Innovation, a first of its kind in the industry has received a Performance, Quality and Safety (PQS) prequalification from the World Health Organization (WHO) and can reliably transport vaccines or any other specimens in a 2-8 °C temperature range.
It is expected to solve the perennial challenge of vaccines wastage and vial breakage in many countries caused by the lack of a reliable end-to-end cold chain movement of vaccines specially to remote areas in their right temperature.
The successful rollout of immunization programs depends on the quality of the vaccine supply chain and the ability to provide a cold chain until the last mile.
However, with several health centers located in extremely remote, rural, hostile terrains with minimal road infrastructure, delivering an end-to-end cold chain has been a challenge in Africa.
Recently, Zimbabwe and Nigeria received a boost in their vaccine cold chains from the government of Japan through UNICEF.
Japan’s government donated US $39 million to UNICEF for provision of cold chain equipment in priority storage sites in Nigeria and a few other countries, a moved aimed at improving immunization programs in the continent.
The product brings together the legacy and expertise of Toyota Tsusho Corporation and B Medical Systems in the field of automobiles and vaccine cold chain, respectively.
“Last-mile has always been the weakest link in the vaccine cold chain. In several regions across the world, the last mile health centers are in remote areas that are difficult to access due to the terrain and infrastructure. We are extremely excited to bring such a solution to the market along with Toyota,” said Mr. Luc Provost, CEO of B Medical Systems.
Provost added that company is now in talks with various countries in Africa with a view to introducing this technology to their markets.
“This solution can now be used under the international framework of COVAX, which seeks to distribute vaccines for COVID-19 fairly to developing countries, and its use as a means of transportation for COVID-19 vaccines is also expected. The companies have started the manufacturing of the refrigerated vehicles and expect to ship the first batch in the coming weeks,” he added.
B Medical Systems has been consistently bringing to the market solutions that can solve the problems faced by healthcare professionals around the world when it comes to the storage and transport of vaccines.
The company has to its credit several innovative solutions like the Health Center Kit, Remote Temperature Monitoring Devices, solar direct drive refrigerator with an autonomy of 30 days, etc.
B Medical manufactures medical-grade vaccine refrigerators, laboratory freezers, ultra-low freezers, and transport boxes that can store and transport any vaccine in the temperature range of -86 °C to 8 °C.
