Dar es Salaam, 21 March 2016 : Tanzania is party to the Addis Declaration on Immunization which is a historic and timely pledge to ensure that all children in Africa have the full benefits of immunization. The declaration among other things commits to increase vaccine related funding, strengthening supply chain and delivery systems, and making universal access to vaccines a cornerstone of health and development efforts.

In the effort to improve the capacity to store vaccines in Tanzania, WHO supported the Ministry of Health with four refrigerated vans. The vans were handed over by Dr. Richard Banda, WHO Tanzania Officer-in-Charge, to Hon. Ummy Mwalimu MP, Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, on 21st March 2017.

Dr. Banda commended the efforts of the Government towards improving the vaccine cold chain system. He acknowledged that the introduction of new vaccines have increased the volume of vaccines to be distributed from National level to the health level. However, Dr. Banda also cautioned that, while Tanzania has made remarkable progress towards increasing access to immunization, there are children who remain unvaccinated and vaccine preventable diseases continue to claim their lives. It was his hope that the vehicles will help in expanding access of the needed vaccines to children who are being left behind.

In her response, Hon. Ummy Mwalimu MP, indicated that the vans will help alleviate overcome vaccine transportation challenges.   He stipulated that the four vehicles were presented to reduce the frequency of vaccine deliveries to the regions to three months (quarterly) deliveries from monthly deliveries.

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For more information, please contact:

Technical contacts:

Dr Richard Banda; Tel: +255 222 113 005; Email:  bandar [at] who.int (bandar[at]who[dot]int)

Mr. Barthasar Rwelengera; Tel: +255 769 439 191; Email: rwelengerab [at] who.int (rwelengerab[at]who[dot]int)

Media contacts:

Dr. Neema Kileo; Tel: +255 755 551 804; Email: kileon [at] who.int (kileon[at]who[dot]int)