The government of Japan on Friday provided US$723k to Mozambique for the country to improve management of cold storage equipment for the conservation of vaccines against Covid-19.
“We have to improve our means of work to combat the new coronavirus with low-temperature chambers and equipment similar to refrigerators,” said Kimura Hajime, Japanese Ambassador to Mozambique, during the delivery of the donation, in Maputo.
The amount, handed over to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which will apply it, will allow the purchase of cold storage equipment in Mozambique, in addition to responding to the priorities identified in the country’s response plan to Covid-19.
UNICEF will work in coordination with the Ministry of Health to ensure that vaccines are transported to hospitals within the parameters and temperatures requested, said Maureen L. Gallagher, representing Maria Luísa Fornara, head of the UN agency in Mozambique.
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“A comprehensive and functional cold chain is a very important requirement to ensure the proper conservation of vaccines,” said Lídia Cardoso, Mozambique’s deputy health minister, warning to the need to strengthen preventive measures given the threat of the outbreak of a third wave of infection in the country.
UNICEF will support the Mozambican authorities in the acquisition of equipment, as well as providing technical assistance and training to health professionals.
Mozambique has an accumulated total of 826 deaths, 70,315 cases of which 97% have been recovered and 24 hospitalised.
