Direct Relief today announced continued support of the cold-chain storage infrastructure program that aims to improve access to temperature-sensitive essential medicines in resource-limited settings in low- and middle-income countries, or LMICs.
With a commitment of $4.3 million in funding support from Eli Lilly and Company, Direct Relief will purchase and install approximately 600 medical-grade refrigerators or other cold storage systems to hundreds of healthcare facilities in resource-limited settings in LMICs throughout Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and Asia.
Building on the success of the project’s first phase, where 151 refrigerators were installed by Direct Relief across 82 clinics in 18 countries with support from Lilly, this expansion will help address the significant need for additional storage capacity in resource-limited settings. This ensures that temperature-sensitive medicines including donated medicines, can reach patients in resource-limited settings where access to refrigeration remains a critical barrier.
The Importance of Cold Chain in Healthcare
Cold chain—transporting and storing medicines at specific temperatures—is essential for preserving the effectiveness of many treatments, including biologics and other temperature-sensitive medicines. Insulin, for instance, an essential medicine for people living with diabetes, requires refrigeration at a constant 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. The World Health Organization’s Global Diabetes Compact has called on improvements, including expanding cold storage, to ensure medicines are available to those who need them most.
“Lilly’s commitment to health equity goes beyond our own medicines. We use our resources and expertise in key disease areas to drive sustainable solutions to some of the world’s toughest health challenges,” said Cynthia Cardona, Lilly’s Vice President of Social Impact. “Lilly is proud to continue supporting Direct Relief’s cold-chain efforts in LMICs, following the successful completion of the first phase. Through Direct Relief’s expertise and Lilly’s support, we aim to contribute to expanding access to essential medicines in resource-limited settings in LMICs.”
Lilly’s support for Direct Relief’s cold chain initiative is part of the Lilly 30×30 initiative, which aims to improve access to quality healthcare for 30 million people living in resource-limited settings annually by 2030. This effort builds on Lilly’s long history of advancing equitable access to diabetes care and medicines.
“Direct Relief is privileged to receive support from Lilly yet again, expanding cold storage to even more health providers, giving them the opportunity to safely store essential medications,” said Kelsey Grodzovsky, Director of Programs for Direct Relief. “Building refrigeration capacity is key to increasing medication access in low- and middle-income countries around the world, and this infrastructure will allow more patients to receive critical therapies.”
Through this program, Lilly and Direct Relief are reaffirming their shared commitment to expanding access to temperature-sensitive medicines, ensuring that patients in low- and middle-income countries can receive the care they need to live healthy lives.
