Field Officer in Kumbuka Afrika

 Introduction

Over 30% of food is lost, around 25% of vaccines are wasted, and pandemic surveillance systems still face significant challenges, due to inadequate management strategies such as broken cold-chain systems. 

The cold chain is a temperature-controlled supply system essential for preserving food, vaccines, reagents, and biological samples, playing a critical role in health outcomes and food security. It also intersects with climate change due to its reliance on energy and refrigerants. 

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), cold-chains encounter difficulties like outdated infrastructure, insufficient training, and unreliable power. However, documented successes demonstrate that progress is possible through integrated business approaches that embed innovations like solar refrigeration and smart monitoring. As global health evolves, cold chain systems must be redesigned to support emerging needs, including vaccine development, biomanufacturing, and biobanking, and this needs to be looked at through a One Health lens.

Course Type

Hybrid - Onsite & online

Delivery Method

Hybrid

General enquiries
aces@cleancooling.org

Course Leader
Jean Pierre Musabyimana

Programme Dates

 Course Fees

Attendance is currently FREE for all course dates.

 11th August - 5th September 2025

 

ACES Rubirizi Campus, Kigali, Rwanda

• Apply by email to aces-apply@cleancooling.org before 3rd August 2025.
• Shortlisted candidates will be notified by August 6th, 2025

• Onsite (week 1 & 4) - ACES Rubirizi Campus, Kigali, Rwanda
• Online sessions (week 2 & 3) - 3 hours a week, self-paced

Presenters: Jean Pierre Musabyimana

 29th September - 24th October 2025

 

ACES Rubirizi Campus, Kigali, Rwanda

• Apply by email to aces-apply@cleancooling.org before 1st September 2025.
• Shortlisted candidates will be notified by September 15th, 2025

• Onsite (week 1 & 4) - ACES Rubirizi Campus, Kigali, Rwanda
• Online sessions (week 2 & 3) - 3 hours a week, self-paced

Presenters: Jean Pierre Musabyimana

Course Description

This course explores the critical role of cold chain systems in global health, uniting disciplines such as supply chain management, cryobiology, immunisation research, biobanking, pandemic surveillance, regulatory science, and contextualised business model development. It is tailored for professionals, researchers, students, and regulators working to ensure the integrity of temperature-sensitive products like vaccines, reagents, and biospecimens.

Participants will gain both theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills to design, manage, and troubleshoot cold chain systems across health, research, and outbreak response settings. Topics include temperature effects on biological materials, infrastructure challenges, monitoring technologies, and regulatory standards.

Using case studies such as COVID-19 and Ebola vaccine distribution, the course underscores the life-saving importance of reliable cold chain systems and addresses how cold chain failures contribute to vaccine hesitancy. It discusses new generations of vaccines, such as mRNA vaccines requiring optimal temperatures below 0 degrees, and how to design innovative cold-chain systems for them. Additionally, it examines issues related to cryogenic storage, biospecimen transportation mechanisms, and biobanking systems needed for improved pandemic surveillance systems. 

The course supports international compliance (ISO, WHO, HACCP, etc.), enhances professional expertise, and aims to establish a community of practice (CoP) in Rwanda and across Africa to foster innovation and improve cold chain management for immunisation, nutrition, and health security.

Who Should Apply

This course is open to a wide range of professionals, students, experts and policy makers working at the intersection of health, engineering, and biological sciences. 

If you're committed to strengthening the integrity of temperature-sensitive products in healthcare, research, and global public health systems, this course is for you.

You are strongly encouraged to apply if you are:

• A vaccine program manager, immunisation officer, or public health practitioner
• A laboratory technician, diagnostic specialist, or biobank coordinator
• A cold chain engineer, refrigeration technician, or systems maintenance specialist
• A biomedical or electrical engineer involved in health-related infrastructure
• A logistics professional managing medical supply chains
• A student or early-career professional in biology, biotechnology, veterinary medicine, bioinformatics, engineering, or public health
• A researcher in vaccine development, disease surveillance, diagnostic innovation, or biospecimen management
• A policymaker, health system planner, or regulatory officer overseeing temperature-controlled health systems
• An executive in the health system with a drive to develop efficient business model to develop innovative solution in the public health supply chain. 

Whether you work in human or animal health, laboratory systems, or supply chain logistics, this training provides the interdisciplinary foundation needed to build sustainable and compliant cold chain solutions.

Why This Course Matters

The increasing complexity of global health, the rise of emerging diseases, and the expansion of biomanufacturing all demand stronger cold chain systems. 

In low- and middle-income countries, outdated infrastructure, unreliable power, and lack of skilled personnel put millions of lives at risk.

This course responds to those challenges by:

• Offering real-world training rooted in the needs of LMICs
• Bridging the gap between biological sciences and refrigeration engineering
• Showcasing solutions like solar-powered cooling, smart monitoring, and regional innovations such as Rwanda’s VaccAir and biobanking programs
• Laying the groundwork for a Community of Practice (CoP) to strengthen cold chain management in Global Health 

What You Will Learn

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain how temperature affects the integrity of vaccines, reagents, and biospecimens at the molecular level
• Describe the full architecture of cold chain systems, including storage, transport, monitoring, and validation
• Evaluate different designs and needs for implemention of reliable cold chain systems tailored to specific products and local contexts
• Identify risk factors and troubleshoot failures in real-time, using digital tools and emerging technologies
• Understand the needed level pf compliancy with international regulatory frameworks (e.g., WHO, ISO, GxP) to support quality assurance systems
• Apply best practices from global case studies, including COVID-19, Ebola, and malaria vaccine delivery, and utilise innovative cold-chain systems in biomanufacturing as well as outbreak preparedness and response in your own work.
• Learn different collaborative strategies that link health, engineering, logistics, and research through a One Health approach. 

Syllabus Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Cold Chain Systems in Global Health and Biological Integrity

• Definitions, key components, and objectives of cold chain systems
• Importance of preserving vaccine potency and diagnostic reliability
• Temperature effects on biological products at cellular and molecular levels
• Degradation mechanisms and preservation techniques (e.g., cryopreservation, lyophilisation)
• Estimating Remaining Shelf-Life (RSL) for foodstuffs, vaccines, and pharmaceuticals
• Overview of logistics: storage, transport, and temperature monitoring
• Emerging technologies: IoT, telemetry, blockchain, and innovative packaging

Module 2: Biospecimen and Diagnostics Cold Chain – Management for Surveillance and Outbreak Control

• Packaging and transport solutions: active systems (refrigerated trucks, cargo units) vs. passive systems (insulated containers, phase-change materials)
• Infrastructure needs and real-world deployment for static and mobile cryogenic storage
• Use cases in national testing, surveillance, and emergency response programs

Module 3: Vaccine Cold Chain – Risk Management, Challenges, and Innovations in Immunisation Programs

• Cold chain requirements for different vaccine types
• Barriers: infrastructure gaps, unreliable energy, and a limited trained workforce
• Innovations: solar-powered units, passive cooling technologies, and new logistics models
• Case studies: COVID-19 and malaria vaccine delivery strategies
• Hands-on exercises to evaluate and optimize vaccine cold chain conditions

Module 4: Nutrition and Nutritional Safety – The Role of Cold Chain in Food Security and Health

• Nutrient retention and degradation of perishable foods under different temperature conditions
• Food safety: controlling microbial growth and applying HACCP in food cold chains
• Cold chain in nutrition programs: maternal/child nutrition, school feeding, emergency response
• Integration with health systems: co-distribution of vaccines and therapeutic foods
• Technologies: innovative packaging, solar cooling, cold rooms, and IoT for fortified foods, RUTFs, and produce
• Addressing LMIC challenges: spoilage reduction, infrastructure, and energy solutions; case examples from Africa.

Module 5: Designing and Stress Testing Cold Chain Systems – Case Studies and One Health Applications

• Practical simulations and projects to design, monitor, and troubleshoot cold chain systems
• Context-specific applications: immunisation programs, insulin delivery, outbreak response
• Case studies from Rwanda and other resource-limited settings
• Stress testing cold chains under emergency conditions (e.g., disasters, epidemics)
• Policies, regulations, and quality standards: ISO, WHO, CDC, GxP, HACCP compliance
• Certification, audits, and implementation of best practices
• Equity and inclusion in cold chain access and decision-making
• Introduction to action research and quality improvement for cold chain in global health
• Funding mechanisms: public financing, concessional loans, international partnerships
• Business models for sustainable cooling: role of global initiatives in mobilising finance and training

 How To Apply

Interested applicants must submit a single PDF document containing the following:

• A cover letter addressed to the Academic Head, ACES, explaining your motivation for attending the training
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Short responses (max 150 words each) to the following questions:
1. Do you have any background in using cold chains? If yes, please describe.
2. How are you planning to implement the course-gained learning to change your current practices?
3. Are there any potential barriers that may hinder your participation in this training? (This will be kept confidential and used to facilitate your participation.)

NOTE: ACES gives equal opportunities to people with different backgrounds and genders. 

 

Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications online by the designated deadline to ACES through aces-apply@cleancooling.org, with the subject line:
" Cold Chain for Global Health – [Your Name]"

Join us in advancing your cold-chain for global health skills with the course!