The US$600,000 project was launched during a kick-off meeting on April 17, 2019 under the chairmanship of Director of National Institute for Control of Vaccines and Biologicals.
Under the agreement, Zuellig Pharma will contribute the innovative eZCooler, a temperature-controlled packaging solution to maintain product quality during transportation, therefore expanding access to vaccines in the country, particularly in remote areas.
Zuellig Pharma will also cooperate with NICVB and NIHE to provide training to employees of the Medical Prevention Departments in six provinces on international standards and Goods Storage Practices for cold chain supply management and usage of the eZCooler.
Present at the meeting were the Director of the National Institute for Control of Vaccines and Biologicals, Ms. Beatrice Maser Mallor - Ambassador of Switzerland to Vietnam, Mr. John Davison – Chief Executive Officer Zuellig Pharma, Mr. Yves Hermes – Area Director Southeast Asia Zuellig Pharma and Mr. Marc Franck – Chief Executive Zuellig Pharma Vietnam.
The project aims to support the Vietnam Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), initiated by the Ministry of Health in 1981 with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The nation’s public health program has since benefitted millions of women and children. Ensuring the highest standards of cold chain for vaccines will further contribute to the success of the EPI.
According to the EPI plan, the Ministry of Health has goals to improve the proportion of vaccination in areas that are at high risk of outbreaks, and in areas which are geographically difficult to reach, such as remote, mountainous or island areas. In view of this, Zuellig Pharma will contribute eZCooler with 3 capacities (8 liters, 12 liters and 96 liters) in six northern provinces including Hai Duong, Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, Ha Giang, Son La and Yen Bai.
eZCooler is a sophisticated new packaging solution that ensures the integrity of temperature-sensitive products to the last mile of transportation. The solution is designed and manufactured using a single insulation system to maintain a specific pharmaceutical temperature for up to five days, making healthcare more accessible to places across Asia, especially in remote or rural areas.
Zuellig Pharma is one of the largest healthcare services groups in Asia and the company’s purpose is to make healthcare more accessible. Established in Vietnam in 1999, Zuellig Pharma Vietnam has been trying to affirm its brand in the Vietnamese market and carrying out numerous corporate social responsibility activities, and works to promote the development of the pharmaceutical industry in Vietnam together with the Ministry of Health.
