11 New Cold Rooms will Help Improve Storage of Vaccines in Kyrgyzstan

On January 23, 2024, UNICEF and KR Ministry of Health inaugurated the new cold room for storing vaccines in Sokuluk district of Chuy oblast. It is the first of 11 new storage rooms being installed across Kyrgyzstan with support from the Canadian Government. The total cost of the equipment and installation of 11 rooms exceeds 35 million KGS.

Deputy Minister of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic Arykbaeva Bubujan, Ambassador of Canada to Kyrgyzstan Alan Hamson and UNICEF Representative in Kyrgyzstan a.i. Cristina Brugiolo participated in the official inauguration ceremony.

In his speech, the Deputy Minister of Health Arykbaeva Bubujan, expressed gratitude to the Ambassador Alan Hamson and UNICEF for their assistance in strengthening the healthcare system of Kyrgyzstan, in improving the quality of immunization in order to protect the health of children and the population.

The Minister noted that the Ministry identifies the Immunization Program as one of the priority public health programs. As a result of the Government’s commitment to the immunization program, there has been a significant progress. “Cold chambers have been delivered to all regions according to the distribution plan. They will make a huge contribution to the response to the measles outbreak, when the country will receive additional doses of the rubella measles vaccine,” emphasized Deputy Minister Arykbaeva.

The cold rooms will be installed in Batken, Chuy, Issyk-Kul, Jalal-Abad, Naryn, and Osh oblasts. These target areas were selected in coordination with the Ministry of Health based on the specific needs of each region.

“Canada is proud to sponsor this project to enhance Kyrgyzstan’s capacity to store and distribute vaccines and respond swiftly to public health challenges. Reliable cold storage will also boost confidence in vaccines and encourage people to participate more in vaccination programmes, improving health outcomes” noted Ambassador of Canada to Kyrgyzstan Alan Hamson.

The rooms have volumes of 10 m3 (5) and 30 m3 (6), allowing for the storage of substantial quantities of vaccines. This capacity meets the anticipated needs of these oblasts and districts in the coming years.

“Our ultimate goal is to ensure that children of Kyrgyzstan have access to safe and effective vaccines. And improving storage, delivery and administration of the vaccines is a critical part of this work” says Cristina Brugiolo.

The rooms maintain constant temperatures between +2 and +8, essential for the proper storage of the majority of vaccines and medicines. The equipment has received prequalification from the World Health Organization, ensuring compliance with all rigorous standards.

All of the chambers are anticipated to be installed by March 2024.