UNICEF Donates Equipment to Fiji’s Ministry of Health, Women and Social Welfare
LAUTOKA, 8 December 2008 – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Pacific Office is
donating a 32 foot aluminum boat to the Ministry of Health in Fiji today to support the cold chain
system and to strengthen the pandemic preparedness for avian influenza or bird flu in the country.
The donation of the above cold chain supply will allow the Ministry to use for immunization coverage
work of nurses and respond to emergencies if a pandemic influenza broke out in Fiji.
UNICEF Pacific Representative, Dr. Isiye Ndombi said “the logistical cold chain support provided will
enable Fiji’s Ministry not only to be prepared for the pandemic influenza – if it were to strike Fiji –
but also to replace the old refrigerators, increase vaccine safety and ensure timely distribution of
vaccines.”
A cold chain system ensures that vaccines procured in bulk from a manufacturer in Europe are
maintained under cold temperatures until it reaches distant local ports and ultimately infants and
children.
The hand over of the boat concludes the list of supplies given to the Ministry of Health, Women and
Social Welfare. UNICEF has procured 56 refrigerators, 800 temperature monitoring devices, and two
weeks ago handed over two vehicles in a continued effort to strengthen the cold chain system in Fiji.
The new equipment donated will also able to replace the outdated refrigerators and domestic
refrigerators. This donation has increased the capacity storage of the vaccines of the hospitals and
health centers to introduce new cost effective vaccines such as pneumococus and rotavirus vaccines.