Lodwar- June 18, 2025 (Public Communication and Media Relations)

The County Government in partnership with Drop Access Ltd is working to strengthen cold chain systems within the County, and reduce vaccine wastage, under-vaccination and poor adherence to vaccination schedules.

This will be done through the provision of smart hardware and software technologies to support 40 health facilities in hard-to-reach locations in Turkana. These communities were targeted because they would often miss out on crucial health services like immunization which is heavily dependent on cold chains.

Vaccibox is a portable and solar-powered mid-range medical grade refrigerator. Drop Access will distribute Vacciboxes to the first 20 health facilities between August and September and install IoT-enabled cold storage solution in the remaining 20 facilities in October 2025.

According to Deputy Director of Family Health Programs Gabriel Lopodo, who is also in charge of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), these Vacciboxes not only come with solar power support but also allow for real-time monitoring of temperatures, location, and door openings. This assures the safety and potency of vaccines.

“The Vacciboxes are here to fill the existing gaps in cold chain, thereby fulfilling one of the impact goals of the World Immunization Agenda 2030 — to leave no one behind, by increasing equitable access and use of new and existing vaccines,” he added.

According to Director of Policy Planning, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation James Lobokan, a well-maintained cold chain system is the backbone in strengthening the health systems.

“Sustained cold chain systems will ensure continued and improved access to healthcare services even in the most remote villages where most of our vulnerable health facilities and hard-to-reach communities are based,” he said.

Lobokan reiterated the department’s commitment to reducing waste to ensure prudent use of resources and longevity of healthcare products.

The Department of Health and Sanitation has achieved immunization coverage in 240 out of 300 health facilities in Turkana County. With this intervention, the department will now be able to store and transport vaccines and medications to the remaining remote and off-grid locations. This will lead to increased adherence to vaccination schedules and digitization of immunization records.

Presenting at the forum, James Mulatya, the Co-Founder and CTO at Drop Access, shared an overview of the milestones made since the first Vaccibox was manufactured in 2021.

“We help remote human and animal institutes access affordable cold chain through delivering vaccines, drugs and samples safely,” he stated.

Mulatya continued to share that each Vaccibox can hold up to 31 kgs or 15,000 doses, and their versatility allows for easy delivery to the last mile, preventing vaccine wastage.

“Currently, the production of the Vaccibox units and standalone monitoring hardware is ongoing. We plan to build the capacity of healthcare workers on how to use the technology in the coming days,” he added.

Facilitating the discussions, Deputy Director for Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Partnership Coordination, Sarah Esinyen, called on the partner to consider fast-tracking support in Turkana West to help with the interventions geared towards fighting the ongoing Cholera outbreak.

“There is need to prioritize support in Turkana West and other sub-counties currently facing disease outbreaks such as Cholera,” she stated.

The sub-county Medical Officers of Health presented their needs and highlighted current cold chain gaps requiring additional support.

“EPI performance struggles due to the moving nomad population. With the portable Vacciboxes maintaining power for up to 36 hours, this would greatly reduce the potential of outbreaks and support outreaches,” said Dalmas Lokok, Medical Officer of Health in Lokichoggio Sub-County.

“With the ongoing financial freeze, cold chains become very key. It is prudent we prioritize local manufacturing, and we are happy to find a partner who can support the cold chain needs and reduce the burden of infectious diseases,” said Dr Bonventure Ameyo, Deputy Director Medical Services.

The participants included County and Sub-County Health Management Teams and other representatives from Drop Access Limited.