South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Friday donated cold chain equipment worth over $573,000 to the Ministry of Health to strengthen vaccine storage capacity and routine immunization in the country.
Dr. Mazyanga Lucy Liwewe, Regional Director for the Eastern Africa Regional Co-coordinating Centre of the Africa Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, said that the equipment will help to strengthen the immunization program of the Ministry of Health.
The donated equipment includes 65 refrigerators, four voltage stabilizers and three thermometers and several accessories that will ensure the safe storage and transportation of vaccines to the last mile, said Liwewe during the handover ceremony in Juba.
The donation was done in collaboration with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and MasterCard Foundation.
Liwewe said the Africa CDC investment will enable the country to expand its immunization coverage to remote areas, adding that these efforts are crucial to strengthen South Sudan’s preparedness and response to the ongoing Mpox outbreak.
Yolanda Awel Deng, Minister of Health said the equipment will improve the safe storage capacity for vaccines and transportation of vaccines under optimal conditions.
She said the equipment will be distributed to the states to boost immunization storage.
“I will make sure under my leadership that no funding that is given to us is going to be mismanaged because we are going to follow a transparent system that is testable,” said Awel.
Hamida Lasseko, UNICEF Country Representative in South Sudan, said that the Africa CDC has provided logistics for vaccine distribution and waste management in the country.
“I would like to thank the team from Africa CDC for working closely with member states in providing the required cold chain equipment that will positively improve on the immunization supply chain in South Sudan” said Lasseko.
South Sudan has been on alert following outbreak of Mpox viral disease in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since December 2022.
