Cold chain is helping reduce maternal deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
In Goma, North Kivu province, the World Food Programme (WFP)’s cold chain is providing humanitarian partners with a facility that holds life- saving, cold seal medication.
As the experts in supply chain and logistics, WFP offers a variety of services to the humanitarian community, ranging from land and air transportation to the storage of essential household items. Towards the end of 2016, the humanitarian family expressed the need for a facility to store cold seal medications. So, it was built. We visited this brand new cold chain in North Kivu, in the company of doctor N’sindi Bwato, a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supply chain expert.
“We were already using WFP warehousing services to store pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. Since the cold chain opened, we have been able to stock and store our temperature sensitive products such as oxytocin, blood tests and syphilis tests in optimal conditions,” says Doctor Bwato.
Oxytocin is a drug that saves hundreds of lives every day because it is used to stop bleeding during childbirth — the main cause of maternal mortality in Africa. This medication requires refrigeration, and must be stored between 2 and 8° C; otherwise it loses its specific properties. Thanks to WFP’s cold chain, this medication along with other medicines, are being stored and distributed free of charge to 67 locations in eastern DRC.
Cold chain is critical for UNFPA, so that it can reduce maternal deaths and deliver access to quality reproductive health services in the country.
Electricity in Goma is unreliable, so establishing a cold chain facility at a reasonable cost was a major challenge. Eight fridges, a freezer and a massive refrigerated container need round-the-clock power. Two generators take turns doing this, while feeding six batteries to help reduce fuel expenses. In order to offer a complete cold chain, WFP has 16 cooler boxes with cold accumulators offering a 24 to 72 hour cooling efficiency — essential for field operations.
Behind a complex technical system, the health of individuals is at stake. Everything is conceived down to the latest details to ensure the optimum quality that humanitarian actors need to store their products and run their operations. WFP’s cold chain service is based on a cost-recovery process in order to provide the most professional service possible.
“Although we don’t have the same mandate, it’s important that UN agencies support each other to achieve specific objectives. WFP provides a vital service, allowing UNFPA to focus on ensuring that no woman dies while giving life,” says Doctor Bwato.
Read more about WFP’s work in the DRC.
