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Introduction and Background: Cold chain management system is powerful public health tools that require a conscious effort to evaluate at each level .The management of cold chain equipment; transportation and storage must be maintained for safe vaccine. Studies have shown that maintaining of cold chain is still a public health problem. Objective: The study aims to evaluate cold chain management at all levels of the cold chain system with potent antigen in Lindi Municipal Council. Methods: A case study design was conducted in Lindi Municipal Council. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select the participants and a total of 32 eligible health care providers working at health facility in the study area were interviewed. Data was collected through interviewing health care providers using structured questionnaires and individual interviews. Results: The findings show that management of cold chain is still low; in addition, it has been found that health care providers work experience has no any association with management of cold chain. Health care providers between 0-5 years of experience complying with cold chain and those above do comply hence there was no any association, which means that it is statistically not significant with Fisher’s p-value 0.50.On the case of availability of cold chain equipment at HFs it has been found that equipment are not enough where by majority of participants 15(60%) reported not to have specific room for cold chain while only 10(40%) reported to have the store room for vaccines. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that management of cold chain is done well but health care providers are doing it without any knowledge due to inadequate training. Recommendation: With these evaluation findings, management of cold chain system should be a public health priority in the country, however policy makers should plan an intervention to evaluate competence and knowledge of health care provider’s including provision of on the job training and specific room for cold chain at every facility. Health care providers should be sensitized and oriented on any changes taking place in management of cold chain. |
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