Global warming is a danger for the planet but also a major threat to public health. B Medical Systems develops “green” medical solutions addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. They enable thousands of children to live healthy, in particular in the most remote communities that are vulnerable to rising temperatures.

The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published in October 2018 confirmed that many diseases were sensitive to changes in temperatures and rainfall. The World Health Organisation predicted an annual increase of 250,000 deaths linked to climate change. Against this backdrop, the United Nations drew up a list of 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 to meet the global challenges facing us and to “achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”.

To meet these goals by 2030 it is important that society as a whole gets involved. Conscious that it has a specific role to play, B Medical Systems is adapting its activities accordingly. Operating in the fields of cold chain vaccines, blood safety and medical refrigeration, the Luxembourg-based company has chosen to concentrate on the Sustainable Development Goals 3 “to ensure healthy lives for all” and 13 “to combat climate change and its impacts.”

Ensuring nobody is left behind

B Medical Systems is present in more than 130 countries across the world. In developing countries its refrigerators and freezers for vaccines, blood, plasma and other medicines make a particular difference.

“It is essential that vaccines are stored at temperatures between 2 and 8 degrees. If these temperatures are not respected, not only do vaccines lose their effectiveness, they also present a danger to human health,” explains Wim Hermans, President of Sales at B Medical Systems.

A recent study in Nigeria revealed that 245 solar refrigerators have enabled 6,000 lives to be saved and 37,700 cases of disease to be avoided over a 10-year period. As they operate using solar energy these pieces of equipment are particularly environmentally friendly. They also enable access to effective vaccines in the remotest areas where communities do not necessarily have access to electricity. These products are so well insulated that they maintain a constant temperature even when energy is not available, such as during the rainy season. Our Ultra 16 SDD model, for instance, is capable of protecting the vaccines by keeping them at the right temperature for almost a month during which ambient temperatures may approach 43°C.

Making healthcare greener

Furthermore, all the gases used in the refrigerators are natural gases, which have a minimal effect on the ozone layer. For freezers at -86°C used to stock biological samples such as human cells or DNA, B Medical Systems uses a higher-performance refrigerant. These devices are as energy-greedy as a 4-person household, and are optimized in their design in order to reduce the environmental impact of clinical laboratories and research centres.

To further develop this equipment B Medical Systems draws on its internal R&D team along with an international network of distributors and eminent experts across the world whose local knowledge contributes to creating solutions that best meet the needs of the medical world.

“Investing in vaccination is an investment in the future of the population. And in order to offer quality healthcare to all human beings, wherever they are, a reliable cold chain is indispensable,” concludes Wim Hermans.