Department of Pharmacy, Bahir Dar College of Health Sciences, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Department of Health Science, Gamby Medical and Business College, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Front Public Health. 2023 Jul 27;11:1194807. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1194807. eCollection 2023.
Vaccines are vital health commodities that need an appropriate supply chain system. They could be transported, stored, and used at appropriate temperatures. The purpose of this study was to assess vaccine cold chain management practices in primary health centers offering an expanded program of immunization (EPI) in Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia.
A self-reported and actual practice observational cross-sectional study was conducted at primary public health centers in the Bahir Dar city administration from August 15 to 30, 2021. A simple random sampling method was used to select study participants. An interview-administered questionnaire and direct actual practice observation were used to collect data. The data was entered into the Epi-data 4.6 program and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Participants' knowledge, storage and transport conditions, IPLS management, and vaccine cold chain management practices were examined using independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA tests.
A total of 50 respondents from ten health centers were enrolled in the study. Most of the EPI service providers had good knowledge (60%) and good practice in vaccine storage and transport (74%). However, more than two-thirds (68%) of EPI service providers had poor integrated pharmaceutical logistics system (IPLS) management. Only half (50%) of the health centers had good actual vaccine cold chain management practices. Higher educational background, longer work experience, and receiving training and supervision in EPI services, IPLS management, and vaccine inventory management resulted in higher knowledge, storage and transport management, IPLS management, and vaccine cold chain management practices.
Although most EPI service providers in an interview assessment reported having good knowledge and good vaccine storage and transport management, only half of the health facilities followed the standard. Stakeholders are recommended to play a vital role in improving practices related to EPI services.
疫苗是至关重要的卫生商品，需要有适当的供应链系统。它们需要在适当的温度下进行运输、储存和使用。本研究旨在评估埃塞俄比亚西北部巴赫达尔市提供扩大免疫规划（EPI）的初级保健中心的疫苗冷链管理做法。
2021 年 8 月 15 日至 30 日，在巴赫达尔市行政区域的初级公立保健中心进行了一项自我报告和实际操作观察性横断面研究。采用简单随机抽样方法选择研究参与者。采用访谈式问卷调查和直接实际操作观察收集数据。将数据输入 Epi-data 4.6 程序，并使用 SPSS 版本 25 进行分析。使用独立样本 t 检验和单因素方差分析检验参与者的知识、储存和运输条件、综合药品物流系统（IPLS）管理以及疫苗冷链管理做法。
共有来自十个卫生中心的 50 名 EPI 服务提供者参加了这项研究。大多数 EPI 服务提供者在疫苗储存和运输方面具有良好的知识（60%）和良好的实践（74%）。然而，超过三分之二（68%）的 EPI 服务提供者在综合药品物流系统（IPLS）管理方面表现不佳。只有一半（50%）的卫生中心有良好的实际疫苗冷链管理做法。较高的教育背景、较长的工作经验，以及在 EPI 服务、IPLS 管理和疫苗库存管理方面接受培训和监督，导致了更高的知识、储存和运输管理、IPLS 管理以及疫苗冷链管理做法。
尽管大多数 EPI 服务提供者在访谈评估中报告称具有良好的知识和良好的疫苗储存和运输管理，但只有一半的卫生设施符合标准。建议利益攸关方在改善与 EPI 服务相关的做法方面发挥重要作用。
