Cold Chain Status and Knowledge of Vaccine Providers at Primary Health Care of Units Bale Zone, Southeast Ethiopia: Cross-sectional Study

Background: Despite of long history of Expand program of immunization service delivery and most countries in the world achieved immunization coverage of around 90% for DPT3 in 2010, still there is child mortality attributed to vaccine preventable disease which accounts 29% of world-wide. This problem is attributed to reduced vaccine potency due to failure in cold chain monitoring system. Cold chain monitoring is still a major challenge in developing countries including Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess cold chain status and knowledge of vaccine providers at primary health care units.Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study design employed among 183 randomly selected primary health care units of Bale Zone, Southeast Ethiopia in November 2015. Data were collected by using observational checklist and interviewer administered questionnaire for vaccine providers. The data were entered into Epi-data 3.1 versions and transferred to SPSS version 21 for analysis. Descriptive analysis was used.Results: Among 189 health facilities selected, 183 (96.83%) health facilities were visited during the period of data collection of which majority 146 (79.8%) were health posts. Only 56 (30.6%) health facilities had refrigerator. During data collection, out of 35 functional refrigerators, 20 (57.1%) had national cold chain monitoring guideline and only 14 (40%) were properly store vaccines. In 29 (82.86%) refrigerators thermometer showed temperature readings within the standard range (2-8°C). About 124 (67.8%) vaccine providers were responded correctly the recommended range of temperature for storage vaccine.Conclusions: In general the study indicated that there were gap in maintaining cold chain system and improper storage of vaccine were observed at study area, which compromise the potency of the vaccines and quality of the immunization services. Hence, regular supportive supervision, training and distribution of at least one refrigerator per health facility with adequate kerosene provided with the concerned body to maintain the system.