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A medicine box with a difference

[ November 25, 2024   //   ]

The CMA CGM Foundation has launched the PharmaBox, a 40-foot container converted into a mobile pharmacy for the storage of medicines in crisis zones. It addresses Action Against Hunger’s need to securely preserve medical supplies in order to deliver medical and nutritional care to approximately 17,000 children under the age of five.

The first PharmaBox will depart from Marseilles in December 2024 and will be used in the Central African Republic in the first quarter of 2025, with plans for further deployment across Africa.

The project builds on a long-standing partnership between the CMA CGM Foundation and Action Against Hunger, which has helped move over 7,000 tons of humanitarian equipment since 2012.

President of the CMA CGM Foundation, Tanya Saadé Zeenny, handed over the key to the first PharmaBox in Marseilles to president of Action Against Hunger, Aïcha Koraïchi, on 25 November 25.

The CMA CGM Foundation will oversee the entire project lifecycle, from supply and conversion to transport by sea and land, as well as final installation. It will also provide ongoing technical support to Action Against Hunger  and a comprehensive maintenance plan, including spare parts for on-site repairs.

PharmaBox offers a storage capacity of 22 cubocv metres with strict temperature control (20-25°C) and humidity regulation (below 65%) to ensure reliable storage in extreme climates. It has a modular solar kit consisting of 10 photovoltaic panels that can be installed near the container or directly on its roof to ensure energy without relying on an external power grid or a large-capacity generator.

As it a standard container size, can be quickly installed and relocated and is  easily transportable by land or sea.

Aïcha Koraïchi said: “In many of the regions where we operate, extreme heat and humidity make safe medicine storage especially challenging. PharmaBox is a project that could enable us to better care for tens of thousands of people in the future.”

Since its launch in 2012, the CMA CGM Foundation’s “Containers of Hope” humanitarian transport program has enabled Action Against Hunger to ship nearly 700 containers with over 7,000 tons of essential humanitarian supplies to 22 countries.

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