KOGI SPHCDA TRAINS IMMUNIZATION AND COLD CHAIN OFFICERS ON VACCINE MANAGEMENT

The just concluded Vaccine Management Training (VMT) organized by the Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KGSPHCDA) in partnership with UNICEF, WHO and NPHCDA had State and Local Government Immunization Officers, State and Local Government Cold Chain Officers and other State Officers in attendance. The training was held for 3 days at Halims Hotel, Lokoja.

Sometime last year, a National vaccine stock count verification and audit exercise was conducted, sponsored by GAVI and WHO and implemented by NPHCDA. It was discovered that the rate of vaccine wastages at the cold chain value system around the Country was enormous. This was chiefly identified to be the lack of understanding of the best practices in the storage and handling of vaccines by the members of Staff who receive vaccine deliveries as well as those who handle or administer the vaccines. It became imperative to train cold chain personnel on proper vaccine storage, handling and efficient management procedures.

The Executive Director KGSPHCDA- Dr Abubakar Yakubu while delivering his address at the VMT said “The importance of keeping our vaccines sterile and managing them, both at the State and Local Government levels cannot be overemphasized. Vaccines are given to us free but they are not cheap. Therefore, wastages must not be entertained.”

Speaking further,  Dr Yakubu reiterated the fact that at the State level, the Agency has been able to tackle the issue of poor or no power supply for proper vaccine storage by providing additional 25 Tons Cold room and 100KVA Solar energy which will go a long way in preserving the vaccines and maintaining potency.

The VM training was therefore designed and expected to play a critical role in addressing the challenges of the cold chain value system, strengthen the capacity of Staff on the best practices for vaccines, diluents, injection and data management and to avoid or reduce lots of wastages through breakage, exposure to harmful temperature, VVM change and even expiration of vaccines in your custody.

Highlights of the training:

Vaccine session planning, Store temperatures, Vaccine management basics/tools, Vaccine packing, Managing storage, knowing supply chain tools (LGA Level), guidance on fridge tag installation, generating evidence foe monitoring and evaluation, final waste management.

The training conducted at the State is being cascaded at the Local Government level.

The State highly appreciates UNICEF, WHO, NPHCDA and State Officers for their unflinching support to the State Agency in achieving results.

It is worthy of mention that the KGSPHCDA recently received and  distributed 129 Solar Drive Refrigerators (SDRs) to the LGAs already installed and functioning.