New Delhi (NVI): In a country where one in five rural households does not have access to electricity, Covid-19 vaccines will reach remote communities in Peru through specially designed solar-powered freezers, according to a UNICEF report.
Storing vaccines at the right temperature can be a challenge in Peru due to limited power supply. As part of the solution, 1,100 solar-powered freezers, procured through UNICEF’s Supply Division arrived in at a government warehouse in Lima, Peru’s capital.
The freezers directly connect to solar panels without the use of batteries and regulators, making them ideal for remote communities with limited power supplies. The units will store COVID-19 and other routine vaccines, according to the report.
For over a decade, UNICEF has helped the Government of Peru procure lifesaving supplies at scale. In the coming months, over 10,000 additional cold chain units will arrive in Lima’s port.
This marks a turning point for Peru, where the virus has infected over 1.3 million people, claimed around 50,000 lives and pushed an estimated 3.3 million people, including 1.2 million children, into poverty.
-ARK
