HCMC – The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on November 12 handed over 1,600 sets of cold boxes attached with temperature monitoring devices worth some 100 million JPY (roughly VND20 billion) to the National Institute of Health and Epidemiology (NIHE).
The cold boxes, manufactured by B Medical Systems, will be used to deliver vaccines nationwide. They have temperature monitoring devices attached to ensure an ideal vaccine storage temperature of two to eight degrees Celsius throughout the entire transportation and vaccination process.
Vietnam is currently running the largest ever vaccination campaign in its history, and the cold boxes will help deliver vaccines to remote areas.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Prof. Dr Dang Duc Anh, director of NIHE, thanked JICA for providing the cold boxes, saying that the Government of Japan has supported Vietnam with 4.08 million Covid-19 vaccine doses. He added that these cold boxes would be used to transport vaccines to localities.
Vietnam has administered 96 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines and is promoting the vaccine campaign all over the country.
JICA Chief Representative Shimizu Akira said, “The vaccination is currently progressing in urban areas such as Hanoi and HCMC, and I hope this support will help promote vaccination campaigns in other localities across the country in the near future”.
Since July, JICA has cooperated with the International Organization for Migration in a project called “Capacity building for preparing and responding to Covid-19 pandemic in border provinces of Vietnam”. In fact, many illegal immigrants infected with the coronavirus have contributed to Covid-19 outbreaks in the country.
In the provinces bordering with Cambodia and Laos–Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Tay Ninh, An Giang and Dong Thap–activities of the project are now being implemented to strengthen their capacity in investigating and monitoring infectious diseases. The project also provides personal protective equipment and hand disinfection equipment valued at 20 million JPY.
JICA will continue to work with the Government of Japan to support Vietnam in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic.
