Real-Time Last Mile Vaccine Cold Chain Monitoring to Increase Quality Vaccines in Remote Communities

More than $34.1 billion in annual vaccine distributions globally are wasted due to temperature fluctuations, and shipment and logistics issues, a gross underestimation if considering the costs of avoidable illness. Temperature monitoring of cold chain equipment and vaccine vial monitors (VVM) provide a basis to flag heat- and freeze-damaged vaccines. When used correctly, these solutions are poised to unlock high-confidence delivery of a billion additional vaccines over the decade. Correct usage requires health workers on the frontlines to follow laborious packing, storing, and transportation instructions that require tedious, manual calculations and temperature recordings. The stakes are higher for health workers in conflicts such as Syria due to physical insecurity, unsafe humanitarian corridors, and damaged cold chain infrastructure. Hala proposes to automate this laborious process with a low-cost, real-time cold chain monitoring solution for last mile vaccine deliveries.