By Alfred Opio
The Pallisa District Veterinary Office has received a solar-powered, containerised animal vaccine fridge from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), bringing relief to veterinary staff and livestock farmers across the district.
The facility, delivered earlier this month, was provided following a formal request by the district veterinary office for a reliable and sustainable vaccine storage solution.
Confirming the development, the District Veterinary Officer, Dr. Roem Otodo, said the new fridge has the capacity to safely store up to 1.5 million doses of animal vaccines, significantly improving the district’s ability to preserve and distribute vaccines.
Dr. Otodo explained that the office has long struggled with unstable electricity, which often threatened the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.
“We have been facing serious challenges storing vaccines using electricity because power supply in the district is unreliable. Whenever electricity goes off, the vaccines risk getting spoilt,” he said.
He noted that during previous power outages, the department was sometimes forced to use ice to temporarily preserve vaccines — a method he described as costly, unsustainable, and risky to vaccine quality.
“With the solar-powered fridge, we are assured of consistent storage since solar energy cannot be switched off like electricity. This guarantees the safety and potency of our vaccines and will greatly improve service delivery to livestock farmers,” Dr. Otodo added.
Local farmers have welcomed the development, describing it as timely and beneficial to livestock production in the district.
Jackson Ajala, a livestock farmer from Kasodo Sub-county, thanked the government for the support, saying the facility will ensure animals receive properly preserved and effective vaccines.
“We are grateful for this support. Our animals will now get quality vaccines that are safe and effective. This will help reduce diseases and improve production,” Ajala said.
He appealed to the government to extend similar support to other departments to further strengthen services at the grassroots level.
The acquisition of the solar-powered vaccine fridge is expected to enhance disease control efforts, reduce vaccine wastage, and boost livestock health and productivity in Pallisa District.
