Health Minister Yolanda Awel Deng inspects cold chain equipment donated by Africa CDC in Juba. Oct. 4, 2024. (-)

The Ministry of Health received about 65 cold chain equipment worth $573,000 United States dollars from Africa Center of Disease Control in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation.

The equipment compromising 65 refrigerators, 4 voltage stabilizers, and 3 solar thermometers, and other accessories. The cold chain system was handed over to the national Ministry of Health earlier in Juba on Friday.

According to Africa CDC Representative, Dr. Lucy Mazyanga Mazaba, these facilities are designed to ensure safe storage and transportation of vaccines across the country.

She said the cold chain system is aimed at addressing the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases and facilitating immunization efforts in remote areas with limited power access.

“Today, as Africa CDC, in partnership with MasterCard Foundation, under the Saving Lives and Livelihood Initiative, is taking a crucial step towards achieving this goal by delivering cold chain equipment to the government of South Sudan,” she said during the handover of the equipment.

“This investment, worth over $573,000, aims to strengthen the immunization program of the Ministry of Health. The resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases underscores the need to sustain immunization efforts.”

UNICEF Country Representative Hamida Lasseko said he anticipates that all equipment will be fully installed in the near future.

“I’m pleased to report that the equipment installation is almost nearing to completion. So, I believe what you are seeing here is just a sample with a current progress rate of 97%, which is really a good progress. And we anticipate that all equipment will be fully installed in the near future.”

Meanwhile, Yolanda Awel Deng, the Minister of Health has pledged to maintain high standards in the vaccine storage and transportation while establishing a reliable system to prevent future mismanagement of funds.

“These resources that we have received will strengthen our capacity to store and transport vaccines under optimal conditions,” Awel said.

“It is a very good thing that we heard testimony that even in one of the remotest places in South Sudan and she found that we have got very good quality vaccines available. That shows that such a donation that we get, that shows that the taxpayers’ money of whoever is giving her that money to the government of South Sudan is not misused.”

“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 and a system that is testable like what we have seen in the last few years.”

Minister Awel further appealed to the public to take immunization of your family members seriously to safeguard them against diseases, especially during this flood season.