Upgrade of SMILE last-mile vaccine carrier for remote areas

The SMILE vaccine carrier was developed to solve the issues of cold chain logistics in sub-Saharan climates. Vaccines need to be stored between 2 and 8 degrees centigrade and existing carriers either freeze vaccines or only last a day. Errors made by health workers during vaccination in the field accelerate vaccine spoilage. SMILE has a fail-safe design and has been iterated and tested. After testing at the National Physical Laboratory and field trials in Madagascar in late 2019, SMILE succeeded in maintaining vaccines at a stable temperature for 3-6 days during use without external power. For the developing world, this means SMILE will be effective in cutting the enormous wastage of vaccines transported with existing carriers and ensure that people in hard-to-reach, rural communities no longer fall outside of vaccination programmes. There is worldwide research into a vaccine for Covid-19. Yet providing mass vaccinations for this new threat is a monumental logistical task. The project aims to upgrade SMILE with a modular plug-in device that can indicate to users how much longer SMILE will last. This will enhance and optimise vaccination reliability in remote areas. We will be working with the Department of Public Health in Ikongo District, Madagascar.