The Australian Government, in partnership with UNICEF Philippines, hands over donation to bolster cold chain capacity at the national and local government levels amid the scale-up of COVID-19 vaccinations
MANILA, Philippines, 28 January 2022 — In full support of the Philippine Government’s COVID-19 vaccine scale-up, the Australian Government, through UNICEF Philippines, formally handed over cold chain equipment to help address gaps in the storage capacity at all levels of the country’s health system.
With the AUD 1.3M (around PHP 48.7M) funding from the Australian Government, UNICEF Philippines procured 30 solar-powered vaccine refrigerators, 8 walk-in cold rooms, 20 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the walk-in cold rooms and 106 sets of spare parts. The solar fridges will be distributed and installed in geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities in the Davao Region (Region XI) and the provinces of Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The walk-in cold rooms, which can store large quantities of vaccines, will be installed in CAR, Region II, Region III, Region V, Region XI, Region XII, and CARAGA.
With 122 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered and the plans to further expand coverage in the country, there is a critical need to increase the logistics and cold chain capacity to improve storage for COVID-19 vaccines and the routine vaccines in the National Immunization Program.
The country’s cold-chain systems enable the government, its various hospitals, and health facilities in different regions to obtain the maximum reach and provide the Filipino people with vaccines that are assured to be of good standard and quality. These donated cold chain equipment will be of great aid in ramping up our inoculation activities against COVID-19,” said Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III.
In addition, Australian Ambassador Steven J. Robinson AO said that, “this package of cold chain equipment is part of the Australian Government’s larger commitment to support the Philippines Government’s COVID-19 response. It will help ensure that those most at risk and other vulnerable members of the population have equal access to vaccines. Aside from bolstering the cold chain capacity of the country at the national and local levels, Australia is also supporting the improvement of information management systems as well as increasing the demand for COVID-19 vaccines.”
Through UNICEF Philippines and WHO, the overall funding at the value of AUD7.5 million from the Australian Government will support the Department of Health (DOH) in targeting around 10 million COVID-19 vaccine beneficiaries, 38 health facilities, and 100 health facility staff for training on Cold Chain Logistics and Vaccine Management. These aim to fill critical cold chain equipment gap, improve surveillance for vaccines, and risk communication and community engagement.
“The strengthening of the national health system and COVID-19 vaccination is a big step towards the strengthening of critical health services and routine immunization for every woman and child in the Philippines. As we work with the Philippine Government and all our partners in ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, we at UNICEF ensure that all children, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized, will be provided with the health and nutrition services they need to survive, thrive, and reach their full potential,” said Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, UNICEF Philippines Country Representative.
Media contacts
Niko Wieland
Chief of Communication
UNICEF Philippines
Tel: +63 917 867 8366
Email: [email protected]
