| Abstract: | The vaccination cold chain makes vaccination possible even in the most remote areas of the tropics. Efforts to achieve the World Health Organization's goal of 90% full vaccination of the world's children by the year 2000 have led to the provision of more than 2000 vaccine refrigerators in formerly war-torn Ethiopia (which has achieved 65% coverage) and 124 solar medical refrigerators in Eritrea (which has 44% coverage). Many more medical refrigerators will be necessary to extend the cold chain to those who need it most, and the cold chain requires trained workers to transport the refrigerated vaccines in ice packs kept at the correct temperature. Each ice pack should have a cold chain monitor card that changes color to indicate temperature variations and an attached vial that shatters if it becomes overfrozen. Solar-powered medical refrigerators are reliable and cost effective, but their production has slowed because of pressure to make them free of CFCs. Very few solar models have been approved and tested by the World Health Organization; one is the DULAS VC150F, which was developed over 10 years ago. In order to generate support for solar medical installations, DULAS also offers the training integral to maintenance of a cold chain. |
