Cold chain mission

[grober]

Anybody watched the Ewan MacGregor Cold Chain Mission programs about supplying vaccines to children in the Third World. Gives one pause for thought for the immense disparity in the world's resources in the most remote regions of the world.

BBC iPlayer - Ewan McGregor: Cold Chain Mission: Episode 1

and

BBC iPlayer - Ewan McGregor: Cold Chain Mission: Episode 2

 

[Druk]

Watched them both but switched off last night after he told us there was no option to reaching last nights destination other than by canoe up some backwater river. Then filmed the whole journey from a helicopter.
I thought it just another 'flyonthewall' TV falsehood.
If it's that important to get vaccines to a remote location then use the bloody chopper to do it and not to help Ewan get his rocks off.

 

[grober]

You are missing the point- the screen is filled with Ewan MacGregor "doing his thing" in order to garner publicity for the " cold chain mission" of the various charitable bodies supplying vaccines to these people. Sure there were lots of helicopter shots of the country they were travelling through but that was to convey the vastness and isolation of the country . No doubt the logistics and costs of filming such an exercise were high but I expect Ewen MacGregor donated his services for free as part of his commitment to UNICEF. I think the point of MacGregor doing the "motor bike, canoe and pack mule " bit was to illustrate how the vaccines were NORMALLY brought to the people in these remote places and involved the actual individuals involved like the Nepalese guy and the Congolese nun. I would seriously doubt such campaigns could afford to routinely transport vaccines by helicopter charter!! So maybe his statement should have more accurately read there is no affordable option to reaching these destinations.

 

[whitenemesis]

Perhaps we should be developing vaccines that don't require cold chain distribution?

 

[grober]

Perhaps we should be developing vaccines that don't require cold chain distribution?

Such technology may be in the pipeline but again maybe ruled out at present on the grounds of cost. Sugar preserves vaccines without refrigeration - Technology & Science - CBC News Anything a drug company can patent will cost!

 

[whitenemesis]

It's not the vaccine production cost that's crippling but the cost of distribution, especially if it has to be cold. There are a number of competing technologies out there that could eliminate the cold chain distribution. What's lacking is big pharma support ...

 

[horgantrevor]

The helicopter images were done using radio control devices for most images their were a number of fly by's done in a real helicopter to show the size and remoteness of the area

Their was no place to land and also the cost as mentioned above would not make it viable to use a helicopter in such areas

Let's no loose focus it was to show what can be done
And think of the children and people it can help

 

[Stratman]

Perhaps the vaccines could travel with the weapons these 'impoverished' countries seem to have no trouble buying and transporting.

 

[grober]

Perhaps the vaccines could travel with the weapons these 'impoverished' countries seem to have no trouble buying and transporting.

And we in the"developed countries" have no trouble manufacturing and supplying ?
However its a valid comment and was certainly touched on in the first program along with the bondage/slavery issue in the second.