PAHO, Canada Boost Cold Chain Systems in 18 Countries

National immunization programs in 18 countries and territories across the Americas have strengthened their cold chain systems in recent months to safeguard vaccine potency and support routine immunization, following technical cooperation from the Pan American Health Organization and financial support from the government of Canada.

Through PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds, Canadian funding enabled the provision of about 1,000 cold chain equipment units. These included temperature monitoring devices, long-duration passive cold boxes and vaccine carriers designed for complex logistical settings, as well as ice-lined refrigerators with freeze-protection technology. The equipment is intended to ensure vaccines remain within required temperature ranges from national entry points to delivery at the community level.

The initiative reached Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, the British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Saint Martin. Health workers in several locations, including Peru’s Datem del Marañón region, also received training on the use of vaccine carriers as part of the effort.

“This new cold chain equipment strengthens countries’ capacity to protect each vaccine dose, from the moment it arrives in the country to the moment it reaches families and communities,” said Santiago Cornejo, Executive Manager of Regional Revolving Funds, PAHO. He added that the tools help to ensure safety, reduce waste and expand equitable access to immunization, while highlighting Canada’s role in supporting the introduction of updated technologies in the region.

The donation is part of a PAHO-led project supported by the Canadian government, titled Improving equitable access and coverage of COVID-19 vaccination in Latin America and the Caribbean. Beyond COVID-19, the project seeks to reinforce public health systems and infrastructure more broadly, with cold chain capacity identified as a critical component of sustainable immunization programs.

The importance of advancements in healthcare-specific logistics solutions becomes clearer when considering that an estimated 25% of vaccines are lost annually due to failures in cold chain management, according to the World Health Organization. “If the product fails to be at the right temperature, an issue known as “excursion,” even for a short time, it can cause the drug to lose its properties. That is why having transport equipped with refrigeration is essential for successful delivery,” explains Jack Rodríguez, General Manager, Maypo, to MBN. 

PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds operate as technical cooperation mechanisms that allow countries in the Americas to jointly procure vaccines, essential medicines, and public health supplies at affordable prices through coordinated planning and pooled purchasing. According to PAHO, this collective approach has generated savings of about 50% on vaccines and other health supplies, benefiting roughly 180 million people over the past two years.

Recently, in Mexico, IMSS-Bienestar received 104 refrigeration units, including high-efficiency solar equipment, from PAHO/WHO and UNICEF to ensure the proper storage of vaccines and temperature-sensitive medicines in medical facilities affected by recent rains, strengthening the public health system’s emergency response capacity.

Over time, the Revolving Funds have supported timely access to essential health inputs across the region, contributing to progress in addressing HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, improving immunization coverage and reducing maternal and child mortality.

Vaccination has long been a cornerstone of public health policy, protecting individuals from life-threatening diseases and serving as a recognized human and social right, reports Mexico’s Ministry of Health. According to WHO, vaccines can prevent over 30 infections, enabling people of all ages to live longer and healthier lives. Yet, recent data show that coverage gaps remain, threatening to reverse years of progress.

Ensuring widespread protection requires coordinated action by governments, healthcare workers, civil society, international organizations, and individuals to strengthen immunization programs.