Abu Dhabi's HOPE Consortium offers one of the most capable vaccine supply chains globally. It has extended its value proposition to include in-country vaccination services to accelerate global immunisation and eliminate vaccine wastage.

The new solution is the first of its kind in the Covid-19 immunisation efforts. The HOPE Consortium has partnered with Via Medica International Healthcare, a leading global health care provider, to deliver the services combining end-to-end vaccine delivery with the accelerated on-ground deployment of medical and logistics specialists, staff and equipment.

The linked service will enable countries and communities with limited medical and logistical capacities to assimilate the delivered vaccine supplies and vaccinate their populations safely and efficiently, with minimal disruption to local health delivery services.

The first stage of this programme has begun in Africa. This stage includes assessing existing on-ground logistics and medical capabilities and infrastructure and the primary deployment of a mobile team of 15 members. The unit consists of doctors and nurses that secure local immunisation hubs needed to coordinate the administration of the vaccines, maintain patient records and track the progress of national vaccination efforts in strict adherence to local patient privacy regulations and requirements.

The second stage will include a team of up to 40 members tasked with installing regional vaccination centres equipped with medical equipment and supplies, storage freezers for vaccines and power generation units. Airlifted from Abu Dhabi, two fully equipped movable vaccination vehicles will enlarge the team's reach beyond the established regional vaccination centres.

Along with two stages, the partners are also deploying logistics experts to guarantee the sensitive vaccine supplies are stored and handled in the required storage environments, thus minimising the risk of vaccine wastage. Two supplementary refrigerated vehicles will support the logistical element of the effort by transporting vaccines from the hub to the immunisation crosspieces to provide ample vaccine supplies and maintain the momentum of the action. Furthermore, local medical and logistic staff will undergo training with the HOPE Consortium to ensure a steady continuation of immunisation in the future.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Chairman of the Executive Committee, HOPE Consortium, and Group CEO, Abu Dhabi Ports, said, "The combination of Abu Dhabi's proximity to two-thirds of the globe and our strategic logistics capabilities, allow us to not only deliver millions of vaccines to those in need but also make sure that every vaccine brings us closer to our collective victory against the pandemic. Through our new in-country support initiative, we recognise the needs of individual countries and, in turn, tailor our services to the capabilities of their healthcare infrastructure through a complete end-to-end solution.

He expressed his gratitude to be in a position from which they can help manage the global imbalance and provide equal access to vaccines to millions of people worldwide.

Frank Ludick, CEO-International of Via Medica, stated that their aim through the HOPE Consortium was to counter risks of the pandemic through rapid deployment of medical teams, in-country temperature control procedures, and integrated IT systems. They are working towards minimal vaccine spoilage and reaching the demand of vaccines supplies in the global community by combining the Hope Consortium's logistical capabilities and geographical proximity to 3.6 billion people and Via Medica's capabilities as the last-mile provider.

The HOPE Consortium is a public-private partnership. It has evolved into a leading international effort, broadening its global transport and delivery of various vaccines by attracting new partners, including Agility, Aramex, Bolloré Logistics, CEVA Logistics, DB Schenker, DHL, FedEx Express, Expeditors, Hellmann, Kuehne + Nagel, MICCORSA Global, UPS, and Via Medica.

WAM