Precious Cargo!
Inside the box carefully loaded onto the small boat in this photo, is something that is going to save lives. It is a solar fridge and is heading to a remote clinic in the Karen State jungle.
Hepatitis B is a significant problem for people living in low resourced areas as dubious practices take place in the name of health where there is no informed health provider or education on prevention of transmission. It is also possible to pass the infection from mother to baby at birth. The global standard to prevent mother to child transmission is to screen the mother during pregnancy, and if she tests positive, then a Hepatitis B vaccine series is started for the baby from birth, along with a special immunoglobulin. This significantly reduces the transmission rate of hepatitis B from mother to baby, and not only provides improved health for the baby but also ultimately lowers the long-term burden on the health system. This kind of program has not been possible for the rural communities in Karen State in the past, but recently the staff at Rain Tree Clinic have been implementing this procedure and have successfully treated 6 families. Not only have the babies been treated but the fathers and other siblings where appropriate, have been vaccinated too. Up until now, each time a patient is treated the vaccine and immunoglobulin has to be sourced from Yangon via the Ther Ray Dau Pae clinic in Kyaukkyi (a rough 4 hour 4 wheel drive journey and longer by foot and motorbike in the wet season).
Being able to store these vaccines in a fridge at Rain Tree Clinic will ensure the viability of the vaccine and efficiency of its use, not to mention it will reduce the crazy supply train to manageable methods of supply. An added benefit of having a solar fridge at Rain Tree Clinic is that other vaccines such as tetanus and rabies, and medicines such as insulin can be stored safely as well. Insulin is a lifesaver for those diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and in recent times 2 young women have received this diagnosis there. Currently there is no vaccine program in the area surrounding Rain Tree Clinic and in the past year there have been 5 deaths from rabies in the area. Having a solar fridge at Rain Tree Clinic could also be the catalyst in getting an early childhood vaccine program up and running, as both the Government program and UNICEF program do not cover the area.
By Joy Dyer and Mon Parker