Following the successful testing of one of our portable cold storage structures at the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) laboratory last year, we identified a need for a smaller, even more portable unit specifically designed for the storage and distribution of vaccines in remote and inhospitable environments.
The World Health Organisation reports that 50% of vaccine doses are wasted around the world. A significant amount of this waste is related to problems with maintaining appropriate storage temperatures throughout the supply chain, particularly the ‘last mile’. The provision of suitable cold storage is particularly challenging in remote locations and regions with extreme climates.
The challenge was to develop a highly portable unit which could provide suitable temperature controlled storage for vaccines in regions where ambient temperatures could reach up to 50 Celsius. The unit also had to be easy to deploy by inexperienced users and be ready for use within minutes.
Our solution was the Tempstore 10 – an inflatable cold store which provides 20 cubic metres of storage capacity with a floor area of 10 square metres when deployed. Being inflatable the unit packs down to a volume of just 4.75 cubic metres for storage and transportation – including its insulated floor and refrigeration system.
The key to providing such a compact system was to ensure the most efficient use of all its component parts. Rather than packing everything into a crate for transportation, a unique insulated floor was developed which folds up to provide a robust transportation container for the inflatable. The inflatable itself incorporates a high-performance flexible insulation material which is contained within the walls and roof of the structure to protect it from damage during transportation and deployment.
The unit has successfully completed extensive testing in an environmental chamber which can produce ambient temperatures of up to 50 Celsius at our facility in the UK. It is now on test at the UHHRD laboratory in Brindisi, Italy.
Through the UNHRD Lab, the UN is able to offer R&D services to its partners in the continuous effort to increase effectiveness in emergency situations. The unit reviews, designs and upgrades relief items in light of its partner’s potential needs. The optimised designs are subsequently tested for use in a humanitarian setting before being fed back into the UNHRD Network as procurable stock for partners.
This innovative product is available for purchase or hire. Contact us for more information.
For more information about the work of the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot Laboratory click here.
