In the spring of 2021, a young engineer in Kenya designed a solar-powered refrigerator. This device is seen as a convenient tool that can help preserve and transport Covid-19 vaccines to many areas without electricity.
This solar-powered refrigerator is compact and can be transported by bicycle. (Photo: BBC)
The BBC reported on January 4 that engineer Norah Magero designed this product after several farmers approached her for help in keeping cow’s milk fresh during transport to the market.
The convenient refrigerator can harness solar energy and is equipped with a USB port for charging phones. This solar-powered refrigerator is compact enough to fit on a bicycle or motorcycle.
Not only limited to preserving milk, Norah Magero realized that her innovation could be beneficial for administering Covid-19 vaccines in rural areas without electricity.
In addition to Covid-19 vaccines, many other medicines and vaccines also require refrigeration, which is why health experts consider the lack of electricity a significant obstacle to implementing vaccination programs for the entire population of Kenya. Therefore, the solar-powered refrigerator is seen as a solution to this “difficult problem.”
Magero’s solar-powered refrigerator is now called Vaccibox and is being used to distribute vaccines in two rural locations in Kenya.
