UPS Provides Critical Last-Mile Cold Chain Solutions in Cameroon

UPS Healthcare and The UPS Foundation are collaborating with PROMEDEO, an innovative medical supply chain company, and Ideabatic, an award-winning humanitarian organization, to solve critical last-mile cold chain issues in Cameroon. 

From web-based applications to groundbreaking storage solutions, the technologies pioneered to combat COVID-19 are now helping fight life-threatening diseases in difficult-to-access regions around the world. 

Why it matters: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that up to 50% of vaccines are wasted globally every year, in large part due to lack of temperature control across stretched supply chains. 

A quick flash back: In November 2021, UPS hosted the Smart Logistics Challenge series at Expo 2020 Dubai, with the aim of supporting entrepreneurs and driving the healthcare industry forward.

Ideabatic’s SMILE cold storage solution and PROMEDEO’s web-based vaccines management were among the short-listed solutions, and both organizations got to spend time with industry leaders before launching their products within the UPS network.

The UPS Foundation Vice President Joe Ruiz said: “Successful vaccine distribution is based on three essential factors: storage, technology and expertise.

“Collaborating with Ideabatic and PROMEDEO perfectly complements our efforts to bring critical medical access to some of the largest countries in Africa and foster health equity for communities in need.”

While the WHO’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) aims to ensure universal access to all relevant vaccines for all people, they need experts to strengthen the supply and delivery of vaccine programmes.

 UPS is helping bring these innovations to life and evolving them through our work in Africa.

Cameroon has one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates on the African continent. To address this inequity, The UPS Foundation:

• Deployed support to coordinate cold-chain training for the Cameroon ministry of health.

• Donated the delivery of 1.9 million COVID-19 vaccines throughout the country.

• Provided a $500,000 grant to UNICEF to help the ministry build capacity to expand vaccine coverage.