Improving cold chain systems 

News: The pandemic showed us that there were weak links in the supply chain, especially in the cold chain. This means that vaccines alone do not save lives. It requires a strong service delivery network,  

What are the factors that can lead us to a sustainable vaccination programme?

A key factor is cold chain management because improper supply of vaccines can lead to decline in the potency or effectiveness of the vaccine.  

In addition to cold chain management, electricity is required as a supportive infrastructure for cold chains.  

Why should India build a strong foundation for the cold chain system? 

India runs the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) to deliver routine immunisation. It was launched in 1985. Further, the programme was revitalized in 2014 to achieve full immunisation coverage of all children and pregnant women at a rapid pace. 

India has rolled out one of the largest vaccination drives (Covid-19) in the world. The COVID-19 vaccination efforts relied on the cold chain infrastructure established under the UIP.  

The pandemic has also encouraged an interest in preventive health technology, especially in vaccines. 

Globally, nearly half the vaccines distributed around the world go to waste due to a failure to properly control storage temperatures.  

In India, around 20% of temperature-sensitive healthcare products are found damaged due to insufficient cold chains. 

Way Forward 

The government has developed a cloud-based digital platform Co-WIN. This helped to facilitate registration, immunisations and appointments, and issues digital vaccine certificates, highlighting the benefits of digitisation. 

The Health Ministry has been digitising the vaccine supply chain network through the use of cloud technology. For example, the Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) is being developed with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and implemented by the UN Development Programme. This will support healthcare workers in the last mile in supervising and maintaining the efficiency of the vaccine cold chain. 

There is a need to improve electrification, especially in the last mile. The solar-driven technology can be explored to integrate sustainable development. For instance, 72% of the functioning health centres in Chhattisgarh have been solarised to tackle disruption in service. 

The world including India need to build back better and stronger. In the post-covid era, there is an opportunity to develop unbroken and resilient cold chain systems that can augment the immunisation landscape.  

The government needs to invest in the cold chain management for immunisation facilities. This would lead to India’s future pandemic preparedness. 

Source: The post is based on an article “Improving cold chain systems” published in the “The Hindu” on 18th May 2022.