BEIJING, Dec. 10 (INP): Haier installed 2,184 cold chain devices for polio vaccine in Pakistan, Gwadar Pro reported on Thursday.

A service team of Haier Pakistan trained health workers on how to manage the ‘cold chain’ to keep vaccines safe during transportation and storage.

Moreover, Haier Pakistan donated protective equipment and living supplies to the locals, including 50,000 face masks and 25,000 food bags with flour, rice, sugar and other necessities to the residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It is reported that the service tesm installed 2,184 devices nationwide, which benefited about 3 million local children.

In support of this campaign, the team recently provided relevant institutions in Pakistan with medical refrigerators for the safe storage of polio vaccine.

Earlier this year, it also provided on-site air conditioning maintenance services for Muzaffargarh Hospital, a designated hospital for COVID-19 patients.

Pakistan is one of the two polio-endemic countries in the world along with its neighbour Afghanistan.

According to Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Initiative, a total of 82 polio cases have been reported in 2020 including 24 from Balochistan, 22 each from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, and 14 from Punjab.

And the country has commenced a national immunization drive from November 30 to vaccinate over 39 million children under the age of five.

Poliomyelitis, a crippling viral disease, has been affecting many children in Pakistan despite the numerous efforts that have been taken to curb its spread.

The COVID-19 pandemic has halted mass polio vaccination campaigns globally including Pakistan, resulting in a resurgence of new cases.

According to Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Initiative, a total of 82 polio cases have been reported in 2020 including 24 from Balochistan, 22 each from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, and 14 from Punjab. And the country has commenced a national immunization drive from November 30 to vaccinate over 39 million children under the age of five.

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization issued an urgent call to action in November to avert major measles and polio epidemics as COVID-19 continues to disrupt immunization services worldwide, leaving millions of vulnerable children at heightened risk of preventable childhood diseases.

According to the official website of UNICEF, they have invested in vaccine supply chain infrastructure such as freezer rooms, refrigerators, cold boxes, vaccine carriers and temperature monitoring devices.

INP/javed