Webinar: Cold Chain Management in Zambia

May 19, 2015

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Zambia

The Better Immunization Data Initiative Learning Network (BLN) recently held a webinar entitled “The Cold Chain Management in Zambia”.

This webinar focuses on the practical aspects of managing the cold chain for a vaccination program in an environment that is less than ideal. The presenter highlights the successes, challenges, lessons learned, and opportunities as they have encountered them in Zambia, elaborating on proposals for additional improvements. They address critical issues of implementing a cold chain in a developing economy and the webinar should be of interest to both technical and non-technical personnel with an interest in the management of vaccines for immunization programs in an African context.

In case you missed the virtual event, you can view the recorded webinar: The Cold Chain Management in Zambia.

Presenter Information

Dr. Francis Mwansa

Dr. Francis Mwansa is a dynamic Zambian medical doctor with a public health background who is currently working as the National Child Health Specialist for the Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health (MCDMCH) under the Child Health and Nutrition Unit of the Department of Mother and Child Health, Zambia. He obtained his M.D. degree from the University of Zambia, and currently coordinates all national child survival programmes which include Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI), Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), Nutrition in Children and Paediatric HIV. Dr. Mwansa is at present the acting Child Health Specialist and Deputy Director – Child Health and Nutrition.

Prior to joining MCDMCH, he practiced as a Medical Officer in Charge of Kaputa District Hospital in the Northern part of Zambia and as District Medical Officer primarily in charge of primary health care provision, in Kaputa district. Dr. Mwansa has both field experience and technical expertise. He has an in-depth understanding of various aspects of immunization programs in Zambia including logistics, cold chain, service delivery, program management, decision making processes, monitoring and evaluation, and technical support.

Dr. Mwansa heads the EPI technical working group in Zambia and is a member of the Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) as well as the Resident Doctors’ Association of Zambia (RDAZ).

Dr. Chilunga Puta

Dr. Chilunga Puta, Director of the BLN, is an infectious disease research and public health practitioner with in excess of 20 years of experience working in developing country health care settings. She has held diverse technical and administrative positions that have enabled her to acquire a wide range of skills and in-depth understanding of developing economy health care systems. Dr. Puta holds BSc joint honours in Biochemistry and Microbiology, a PhD in Biochemistry, an MPH with a major in Disease Surveillance, and is a Certified Quality Improvement Associate of the American Society for Quality.

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