PHNOM PENH: The Government of Australia has delivered 133 vaccine freezers to Cambodia, including 33 ultra-low temperature freezers that can go as cold as negative 80°C, 100 negative 20°C freezers, and other essential cold chain equipment needed for the national Covid-19 vaccination campaign. The handover ceremony took place on Monday, 28 February, under the presidency of the Minister of Health, Mam Bunheng, and the Australian Ambassador to Cambodia, Pablo Kang.

The Australian Embassy has stated that the delivery of these freezers is part of Australia’s roughly US $25.9 million commitment to support Cambodia’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign, through a partnership with UNICEF Cambodia. This support is additional to the roughly US $94 million contribution Australia has made to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, which has so far contributed to 3.5 million vaccine doses delivered to Cambodia.

The freezers are intended to help support the Ministry of Health in storing and rolling out the remainder of the 2.35 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, recently donated by Australia, to provinces outside Phnom Penh.

The Australian Embassy has stressed Australia remains committed to working with Cambodia’s Government to help secure the safety and prosperity of Cambodians and Australians, as well as their Indo Pacific neighbors, particularly as Cambodia and Australia mark 70 years of diplomatic relations.