The Ministry of Health (MoH) has handed over 2 cold chain trucks to the National Medical Stores (NMS) to help in boosting the delivery rate of vaccines including those against covid 19 across the country. The trucks are estimated to have costed half a million US DOLLARS.
There has been an increase in the uptake of vaccination over the years, with 136 district vaccine stores established countrywide. Despite this progress, the country has only five functional cold storage trucks which causes hiccups in vaccine delivery. The new trucks are expected to close this gap.
Acquisition of the refrigerated trucks was financed by GAVI at an estimated cost of half a million dollars. Three more trucks are expected to arrive in September.
The UNICEF Country Representative to Uganda Doctor Munir Safieldin said the trucks come at a time the country is expecting the arrival of Covid 19 vaccines any time.
While receiving the trucks, The General Manager of the National Medical Stores Moses Kamabare said the trucks shall boost resilience and capacity in the delivery of vaccines to the population across the country.
Last week, the ministry also received 121 of the 282 pickup trucks estimated at sh23.9 billion to be used in surveillance and transportation of laboratory samples and follow up.
