New equipment for safe vaccine storage

Podgorica, 9 October 2022 – Adequate vaccine storage is crucial for ensuring that immunization is effective. For this reason, 17 special refrigerators have been provided to Montenegrin health institutions, with UNICEF support.

“I am very grateful to UNICEF for continuously providing support and assistance to the health system of Montenegro. And this type of assistance, which enables the safe storage of vaccines, is of great importance for their safety and further use,” said the Minister of Health of Montenegro, Dragoslav Šćekić.

Globally, UNICEF and its partners are harnessing solar power, mobile technology and telemetrics to ensure that vaccines reach every child without losing their effectiveness from exposure to extreme heat or cold weather conditions. UNICEF procures more than $100 million worth of cold chain equipment annually, helping to deliver vaccines safely to the communities that need them most, all over the world.

“Vaccines are the world’s safest method of protecting children from life-threatening diseases. For them to work, they need to be stored properly. UNICEF will continue supporting the Montenegrin health system to further improve vaccine management,” said UNICEF Montenegro Representative Juan Santander.

New special refrigerators with voltage stabilizers provide optimal conditions, as they function without significant changes in the storage temperature, even when they are opened and closed several times a day. In the case of a power outage, the refrigerators allow the inside temperature to remain stable for a prolonged period of time, thus securing the utmost quality of the vaccines.

“I would like to use this opportunity to thank UNICEF for cooperation that has resulted in numerous, extremely significant donations, both to Montepharm and to the entire public health sector in Montenegro, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The support we have had through the valuable donation of the chamber for storage, preservation and distribution of vaccines, as well as the accompanying modern equipment, has improved and expanded the existing ‘cold chain’ system in Montepharm,” said the director of Montepharm, Goran Marinović.

During the last two years, UNICEF has contributed with equipment, drugs and other COVID- and immunization-related consumables worth more than €1.2 million. In the coming period, UNICEF will continue providing this kind of support to Montenegro, including through its partnership with the EU.