Even though the initiation of various vaccination campaigns are making Nepal one of Asia's leading countries in terms of vaccinating its citizens, the proper use and storage of the vaccines received by Nepal still remains poor.
The Department of Health Services, Nepal, has publicized Nepal’s vaccine storage problem in their report. The wastage rate of polio vaccines due to improper storage facilities is incredibly high. 77.98 percent of polio vaccines were disposed of in Nepal in the year 2010, as did 63.63 percent of measles vaccines in the same year.
Developing Nepal’s cold chain capacity is crucial in improving vaccine shortage. This includes cold rooms, refrigerators and freezers in vaccine storage facilities at the central, provincial, district and local levels. The availability of refrigerated containers for transportation and cold boxes are crucial to store the vaccine in an effective way. Currently, UNICEF Nepal, is working with the government to develop cold chain facilities in Nepal.
Vaccine storage in Nepal is very weak. The Government of Nepal has mandated using auto-disable (AD) syringes and safety boxes in all immunization activities. However, dry space for the storage of syringes and safety boxes is inadequate in some districts resulting in the wastage of vaccines. “Previously, we had a problem maintaining proper vaccine storage, but we have received support from the World Health Organization, which we hope will be a great help in implementing routine immunization programs,” says Dahal.
With commendable progress Nepal is making in the administration of vaccines, the lack of proper storage is still preventing the received vaccines from reaching the target population.
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