For lovers of a traditional
British “cuppa”, one of
the biggest eye-openers
in Mozambique is the
absence of fresh milk in the shops
and supermarkets.
There is no cold chain to
support the fresh milk industry –
with the result that there are no
dairy herds in the country.
Instead, powdered milk is one
of the bigger imports.
The absence of reliable cold
chain logistics support has far
wider implications than having to
use condensed milk in your coffee.
It has a direct impact on the
health of the people, as many
vaccines lose their efficacy if they
are not kept cool during transport
or in storage.
Vaccines must typically be kept
between 2-8°C.
An award-winning solution
developed by VillageReach, an
international non-governmental
organisation (ngo), is improving
the cold chain.
VillageReach has supported the
Mozambique Ministry of Health
in a large-scale programme
covering four provinces with a
population of approximately 13
million since 2010.
The ngo’s Dedicated Logistics
System (DLS) programme
features a dedicated, integrated,
distribution system, whereby
a small number of specialised
workers visit each health centre
monthly to deliver vaccines and
supplies, repair equipment,
facilitate an information system
to collect and report data, and
provide supportive supervision.
Mozambican field officer
Margarida Matsinhe has received
the second Gates Vaccine
Innovation Award in recognition
of the work being done by
VillageReach.
“Margarida Matsinhe has been
instrumental in overhauling
the vaccine logistics system by
removing obstacles that prevent
kids from getting life-saving
vaccines,” says Bill Gates in his
annual letter.
As a result of Matsinhe and
VillageReach’s work, the monthly
incidence of vaccine stockouts in
rural health centres decreased
from 80% to 1%; the amount of
time the cold chain is working
increased from 40% to 96%;
and the percentage of children
receiving basic vaccines increased
from 69% to 95%.
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95% of children receiving vaccines
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Margarida Matsinhe has
been instrumental in
overhauling the vaccine
logistics system by
removing obstacles that
prevent kids from getting
life-saving vaccines.
– Bill Gates
