LÉO – The Dr. Sédogo medical-surgical center in Léo has been equipped with a new cold storage and water treatment system, part of the Sophia project aimed at enhancing health facility services in rural and isolated areas across Africa.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the coordinator of the Sophia 2iE project, the initiative was developed in response to a call for projects during the Covid-19 crisis, with the goal to ensure proper preservation of blood platelets and Covid-19 vaccines under temperatures below 70°C. “Thirteen African and European partners have collaborated over the past three years to bring this project to fruition,” Dr. Edem stated during the inauguration on Thursday, June 27, 2024.
The Sophia project, which runs from 2021 to 2025 and is funded by the European Union with an 8 million euro budget, has its pilot phase spread across Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi, and Uganda. The Léo medical center was chosen as the site for the first platform before broader implementation in other locations in Burkina Faso and across Africa.
Dr. Edem detailed that the newly installed cold storage system includes three components: two for maintaining the cold chain essential for medical supplies and one for water recycling. Harouna Karambiri, representing the general director of the 2iE institute, highlighted that the system utilizes solar energy to generate electricity needed for medical purposes and to produce both drinking and distilled water.
Omar Ouédraogo, the director of the medical center, expressed his gratitude for the significant impact of the system. “Previously, we spent 200,000 FCFA each month on distilled water for our operating theaters. Now, we can produce our own distilled water and even use the Sophia technologies for our kitchen facilities,” Mr. Ouédraogo explained, adding that the equipment cost over 200 million FCFA.
The High Commissioner of Sissili, Tewindé Isaac Sia, praised the project for its innovative approach to improving healthcare accessibility while utilizing natural resources sustainably. He also expressed gratitude to the European Union for its financial support and committed to maintaining the new system effectively.