In order for countries to keep their vaccine supply safe, all cold-chain equipment (CCE) from the national to the facility level must be in good working order. The only way to ensure this is to have a well-designed and effectively functioning CCE repair and maintenance system in place.

An effective repair and maintenance system helps prevent failures and enables quick response to unexpected breakdowns. It ensures that an immunization program is able to cost-effectively provide potent vaccines to all children.

This course reviews how to establish and maintain a fully functioning repair and maintenance system for cold chain equipment: providing procedures and processes for emergency and maintenance repairs, establishing reporting systems to monitor and manage the system, developing maintenance policies, and committing resources to support and implement the system.

Cover image: © UNICEF/UN0435954/Fernandez

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the course, you will be able to:

  • Describe the importance and benefits of an effective repair and maintenance system.
  • Evaluate a CCE repair and maintenance system to determine whether it is complete and effective.
  • Identify the key components and requirements of an effective maintenance and repair system.
  • Recognize the indicators of an ineffective or incomplete CCE repair and maintenance system.

Audience

This elearning course is for anyone responsible for the cold chain and vaccine management at the national, subnational, and health facility level, including immunization program managers, logisticians, technicians and store managers, as well as ministry of health decision-makers. Staff and consultants in partner organizations working with the immunization program are also an important audience.

Length

This course includes one module with a duration of approximately 60 minutes. 

Methodology

This course is comprised of one self-paced e-learning module. The learner is placed in the role of an Immunization Supply Chain Manager, helping to evaluate and improve a country’s repair and maintenance system. The learner visits a national programme office, primary store, district store, and two health facilities to review various components of their Repair and Maintenance System. The course concludes with an assessment. 

Structure

This course includes one module organized in the following main sections:

  • Introduction (National Programme Office): Purpose and benefits of a repair and maintenance system
  • Primary Store (Responsible staff, Temperature monitoring records, Repair and Maintenance records SOPs,)
  • District Store (Cold chain inventories, Spare parts records, Repair and maintenance budgets)
  • Health Facility #1 (Temperature monitoring records, SOPs, Job Aids)
  • Health Facility #2 (Contigency Plans)
  • Conclusion/National Program Office (Equipment maintenance policies)
  • Assessment.

Contact details

This course was developed jointly by UNICEF and WHO.

For more information, please visit the WHO course page.

For questions or feedback on this programme, please contact Anahitta Shirzad at ashirzad@unicef.org