Ikhaya partners with UNICEF to support safe vaccine delivery across Africa
Specialists in temperature monitoring such as Ikhaya are key, because many medicines, including Covid-19 vaccines, need to be kept within very narrow and specific temperature ranges to avoid being rendered ineffective and possibly even be dangerous.
JOHANNESBURG, April 15 (ANA) – Ikhaya Automation Systems, a specialist in temperature monitoring for the pharmaceutical industry, has partnered with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund to support vaccination efforts across Africa, it said on Thursday.
As an accredited UNICEF supplier since January, the company will supply specially manufactured, preconfigured and automated temperature monitoring and control solutions to ensure that the cold chain on essential medications such as the Covid-19 vaccine remains intact, it said in a statement.
“Many medications, and especially the Covid-19 vaccinations, need to be kept within very narrow and specific temperature ranges, otherwise they could be rendered ineffective and possibly even be dangerous,” managing director Praba Moonsamy said.
“With our solution, designed specifically for the African market, UNICEF can reduce wastage, improve efficiency and speed efforts to achieve herd immunity.”
In order to attain UNICEF certification, Ikhaya first needed to obtain World Health Organisation accreditation, which involves conforming to global technical and industry standards.
Automated temperature monitoring and control play a key roll in the rollout of vaccines in Africa, reducing wastage and stock losses and guaranteeing efficiency.
With intelligent solutions that continuously monitor and analyse the data in real time, alerts can be triggered and interventions implemented to ensure the cold chain remains unbroken.
“Proactive technology can save both money and lives when it comes to the transport of medications such as vaccines,” Moonsamy said.
“This is not limited to the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine either, but to all essential medications that need to be delivered across Africa.”
UNICEF has been leveraging its experience as the largest single vaccine buyer in the world and working with manufacturers and partners on the procurement of Covid-19 vaccine doses, as well as freight, logistics and storage.
The UN agency already procures more than two billion doses of vaccines annually for routine immunisation and outbreak response on behalf of nearly 100 countries.
– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa
