By Emmanuel Okogba

HOPEVACC, a partnership between Solfa Power Limited and Cardinal Healthcare Foundation, has unveiled plans to deploy solar-powered vaccine refrigerators in underserved communities across Nigeria.

Funded by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the initiative seeks to tackle poor electrification and inadequate vaccine storage that have long undermined immunization programs in rural areas.

Speaking at the launch, Ponmile Idaresit Ogunjemite, Executive Director of Cardinal Healthcare Foundation, and Chinenye Ajayi, Co-Founder of Solfa Power Ltd, emphasized the importance of sustainable cold-chain solutions. They noted that unreliable electricity often compromises vaccine potency, leading to shortages and wastage.

The project will provide solar-powered refrigerators, solar boxes, and geostats to primary healthcare centres and traditional birth attendant facilities. It also plans to educate about 1,000 parents—particularly mothers and caregivers—on the importance of maternal and child vaccination, aiming to reduce vaccine-preventable deaths linked to misinformation.

HOPEVACC expects the intervention to increase vaccination coverage by at least 30 percent in target areas, while also training healthcare workers and birth attendants in vaccine handling and equipment maintenance.

By strengthening cold-chain infrastructure, the initiative hopes to ensure reliable vaccine storage, improve electrification in rural health facilities, and protect vulnerable populations from preventable diseases.