Polio Vaccination on the Borders

Polio campaigns reach remote areas more easily and quickly thanks to the support of the Government of Japan

Dalia Younis
Polio campaigns reach remote areas more easily and quickly thanks to the support of the Government of Japan
UNICEF/Egypt 2023/Ahmed Emad
17 January 2023

In the North of Egypt, Matrouh Governorate is famous for its charming beaches that thousands visit every year during summer. However, the hot summer weather represents a healthcare challenge, as there are many suburbs, villages and desert valleys that are difficult to reach with healthcare services, especially immunization. For the safe delivery of vaccines to remote places, a cold chain system must be put in place.

Polio campaigns reach remote areas more easily and quickly thanks to the support of the Government of Japan
UNICEF/Egypt 2023/Ahmed Emad In the past, healthcare workers had to change ice packs used to cool vaccines inside vaccine carriers more than once a day so they wouldn't spoil, causing many delays in the vaccines delivery.
Polio campaigns reach remote areas more easily and quickly thanks to the support of the Government of Japan
UNICEF/Egypt 2023/Ahmed Emad In 2022, UNICEF, with the support of the Government of Japan, provided an effective solution to this problem: larger vaccine iceboxes with up to 16 liters capacity. These boxes can be used to transport various types of vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccines that require ultracold temperature like Phizer’s.
Polio campaigns reach remote areas more easily and quickly thanks to the support of the Government of Japan
UNICEF/Egypt 2023/Ahmed Emad Thanks to these large-capacity iceboxes, polio vaccine has been distributed to most children under the age of five in the most remote areas of Matrouh and other frontier governorates. They reached 16 million children vaccinated in this campaign.
Polio campaigns reach remote areas more easily and quickly thanks to the support of the Government of Japan
UNICEF/Egypt 2023/Ahmed Emad In 2022, Egypt celebrates 17 years of being polio-free thanks to the expanded vaccination program in which UNICEF collaborates with the Ministry of Health and Population to cover all children living in Egypt, whether Egyptians or non-Egyptians.