World Vision Ghana has distributed 110 vaccine storage coolers to health and allied departments across the Upper East Region to improve healthcare delivery, particularly in rural communities with limited access to reliable electricity.
The donation, which forms part of the organisation’s support to the health sector, saw 35 coolers presented to the Bawku West District Health Directorate, 25 to the Tempane District Directorate, while the remaining units were allocated to departments such as veterinary services, agriculture, and environmental health across the two districts.
The coolers, designed to maintain low temperatures for extended periods, are spacious and fitted with wheels to enable easy movement within facilities.
Presenting the items, the Bawku West Area Programme Manager of World Vision Ghana, Joseph Edwin Yelkabong, said the donation was part of the organisation’s “gift-in-kind” support from donors aimed at strengthening health systems in underserved areas.
“We have been working with you over the years as partners in health delivery, and we always strive to contribute our quota to improve healthcare services,” he said. “This support is to ensure that vaccines and other essential medical supplies are properly stored, especially in facilities where access to refrigeration is a challenge.”
He explained that erratic power supply in many rural communities often compromises the potency of vaccines, making such interventions necessary.
“We are aware that in some of your catchment areas, access to refrigeration is difficult. Once vaccines are opened and not properly stored, they may lose their efficacy,” he noted. “These coolers will help facilities, especially CHPS compounds, to safely store vaccines for use over an acceptable period.”
Mr. Yelkabong further stressed the need for proper utilization and monitoring of the coolers. “We expect these items to be used for their intended purpose and not diverted for other uses. We will also intensify joint monitoring with the Ghana Health Service to assess their impact,” he added.
Receiving the items on behalf of the Bawku West District Director of Health Services, Health Information Officer John Kalifa Akubila expressed gratitude to World Vision Ghana and its donors, describing the intervention as timely and impactful.
“Erratic power supply continues to hinder our work. Just yesterday at one of our sub-districts, Sapeliga had to carry their vaccines, which is a long distance about 10 kilometers to Zebilla, just because they haven’t had light for the past three days,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of proper vaccine storage in ensuring effective immunization. “If vaccines are not stored under the right conditions, they lose their potency, and it becomes as though you are administering water instead of protection,” he explained. “These coolers will help us maintain quality and ensure that our target groups receive effective immunization.”
Mr. Akubila assured that the items would be used appropriately and distributed to facilities most in need. Similarly, the Tempane District Director of the Ghana Health Service, Eugene Osei Yeboah, commended World Vision Ghana for the support, noting that the donation would greatly enhance healthcare delivery in the district.
“This support has come at a very critical time because about 50 percent of our health facilities do not have access to electricity,” Mr. Yeboah said. “These coolers will go a long way to improve vaccine storage and overall healthcare delivery, especially at the community level.”
He assured that the coolers would be used for their intended purpose to benefit communities across the district.
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