THE European Union has donated 44 units of solar direct drive freezers to rural communities in seven local government areas of Kwara State for immunisation and public health activities.
Speaking at a one-day sensitisation training of the European Union Support of Routine Immunisation Governance (EU-SIGN) project in Nigeria for members of ward and village development committees in Edu, Offa, Irepodun, Ifelodun, Baruten, Isin, and Kaiama local government areas of Kwara State in Ilorin, at the weekend, the executive secretary of the state Public Health Unit, Dr. Patience Folorunso, said that the provision of the solar-powered freezers was informed by the assessment carried out by the international agency which showed that most of the local government areas did not have cold room facilities for preservation of immunisation vaccines.
The public health specialist also said that the EU-SIGN renovated cold room facilities at Edu and Ilorin West local government areas.
Dr. Folorunso, who said that cold room facilities were essential to make immunisation vaccines potent, added that the vaccines are requested to be maintained at a particular temperature for the benefit of end-users.
She also said that 26 units of the solar-powered freezers had already been supplied, calling on the members of ward and village development committees to maintain, preserve and consider the items as their own.
Also speaking, the director, Primary Health Care in the state, Dr. Michael Oguntoye, said that community participation was crucial to survival of people in rural communities, charging members of the ward and village development committees to intensify efforts at sensitising people to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates.