Sometimes just getting there is half the battle

In the developing world, vaccines make an arduous journey. An individual vial may travel on a lengthy cargo flight from a manufacturing plant in northern Europe to Africa, where it continues inside a hot truck over dusty highways and rural roads to finally arrive at a remote clinic with unreliable electricity and scant refrigeration. Lots of things can go awry before these important medicines reach the families who need them.

Once vaccines do arrive at their destination, other issues arise. Are there sufficient delivery devices, such as syringes, to administer them? Are those devices sterile and safe to use? Are needles disposed of appropriately? Do health workers have sufficient training?

PATH combines ingenuity with decades of work in immunization to tackle these challenges and reach new frontiers. Creative solutions—like the world’s smartest sticker, which flags spoiled vaccine, syringes that prevent disease transmission, and needle-less injections—are effective in rugged conditions with lightly trained health workers. They work under the challenging circumstances found in developing countries.

With dedication and skill, we can invent our way to a better future.

Photo: Umit Kartoglu.