Does Sierra Leone have a freezer?

In all of Sierra Leone, only one functioning freezer meets the cold storage requirements for the Pfizer vaccine. It's housed in a complex at the Ministry of Health's medical compound in the capital Freetown and is only slightly larger than a residential fridge.

Does Sierra Leone have electricity?

But in Sierra Leone and other sub-Saharan African countries, even ordinary refrigeration is a challenge. Only about 1 in 4 Sierra Leonean households have power. The rate is down to about 6% in rural parts, according to Sustainable Energy for All, a collaboration between the United Nations and the World Bank.

Do solar panels store coldness?

A child is inoculated with a vaccine at the Songo Health Clinic in Sierra Leone. Rather than store electricity in batteries to power them through the night, these so called "direct-drive" systems store coldness. They are so efficient and so well-insulated that they can stay cold for 3 days even if the solar panels aren't supplying power.

Which health facilities in Sierra Leone have no electricity?

The Songo Health Clinic in Northern Province is one of the many government health facilities across Sierra Leone that doesn't have electricity. Mariama Koroma, who runs the clinic, says at times they have to deliver babies by flashlight. But they do have a solar fridge for their vaccines — one of 371 in the country.