Managua, September 4, 2023 (PAHO/WHO).- In a gesture of solidarity and Pan-Americanism, the Government of Canada, in collaboration with PAHO/WHO, is helping to strengthen the response capacity of vaccination services that the Ministry of Health offers the Nicaraguan population to protect themselves from diseases preventable by vaccination and has received for this purpose two modern double-walled cold rooms, which will allow it to store up to 2 million biological products.

With the donation of these cold rooms, the Ministry of Health will replace two rooms dating back approximately 20 years, which still present optimal conditions thanks to the care and maintenance carried out on the equipment, to guarantee the quality of the vaccines. its application to beneficiaries.

The Secretary General of Health – Dr. Carlos Saénz, said that this donation strengthens the storage capacity of vaccines against the 18 diseases against which the population is currently protected, including the vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV) in girls. This modernization is being carried out as part of the plan to continue the good management of vaccines.

For his part, the Representative of PAHO/WHO – Dr. Enrique Pérez-Flores stressed that the Ministry of Health is supported in the modernization of the vaccination program, to guarantee the effectiveness of the vaccines used by the different health brigades that are moving. at the community level, thus strengthening the family and community health model.

In addition, he reported that these devices have new technology that allows them to be controlled remotely and to monitor the alerts that come from these cameras in the event of a temperature variation. Likewise, these alerts are transmitted to the information system belonging to the Ministry of Health, as well as to an application on cell phones regarding the operation of the cameras.

This donation, costing approximately US$188,000, also contributes to the digital transformation process implemented by the Ministry of Health.