Unicef, WHO, government reestablish national immunization program

The United Nations Children’s Fund, (Unicef), World Health Organization (WHO) and the government have joined to re-establish the national immunization program by rebuilding the cold chain infrastructure which was severely damaged by Supertyphoon Yolanda in November last year, making it disaster-resilient, providing equipment that will be able to withstand future calamities. Unicef said that when the typhoon struck Leyte and Eastern Samar, the hardest-hit areas with Tacloban City bearing the brunt of the damage, health-care infrastructure was severely damaged including old chain equipment and vaccines. Cold chain is a system used for keeping and distributing vaccines in a condition that retains its ability to give protection against disease. “The cold chain consists of a series of storage and transport links, which are all designed to keep the vaccine at the correct temperature until it reaches the user, namely children and mothers in need of immunization. With most of the cold chain in the...