Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga has flagged off 60 units of routine immunisation equipment worth Sh30 million.
The units will be distributed to selected health facilities in all the eight subcounties.
This follows a national inventory survey in 2016 that showed that there was a deficit in cold chain equipment.
The Ministry of Health, Global Vaccine Alliance and World Health Organization launched a joint effort to bridge the gap.
Kahiga said the initiative will ensure the good health of residents, mainly children.
“Immunisation plays a pivotal role in safeguarding our communities against preventable diseases. It is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions and its impact on reducing morbidity and mortality cannot be overstated,” the governor said.
He flagged off of the equipment at his office on Wednesday.
To be effective, immunisation requires sufficient cold chain infrastructure to stock up, transport and administer vaccines safely.
“In 2019 Kenya was awarded the three-year GAVI Cold Chain Equipment Optimization Platform (CCEOP) grant to improve cold chain capacity for storage of vaccines in line with the cold chain equipment expansion and rehabilitation,” Kahiga said.
A total of 1,483 units will be purchased for distribution countrywide, with Nyeri being one of the beneficiaries.
The governor said biomedical engineers trained recently on their installation will set them up.
An independent external post-installation evaluation will thereafter be done by Unicef on behalf of GAVI.
“The state-of-the-art cold chain equipment, including refrigerators, freezers and temperature monitoring devices, will boost the existing cold chain equipment capacity to store and distribute vaccines effectively, which will further enhance immunisation delivery in the county,” the governor said.
Kahiga was upbeat the equipment will bolster vaccine equity and help access children in far-flung areas of the county who are under-immunised.
The plan is to ensure immunisation is provided in all the 131 public health facilities in Nyeri.
The provision of the equipment is a relief to residents around new hospitals that will now have cold chain equipment.
The equipment will also act as back-up in old hospitals to guarantee uninterrupted provision of vaccination services.
“This initiative aligns with Kenya's commitment to primary healthcare and Universal Health Coverage,” Kahiga said.