Flexible packaging kit combats childhood diarrhea in developing countries

Amcor Flexibles and ColaLife, a charity in the United Kingdom, have partnered to create the Kit Yamoyo that’s designed to counter childhood diarrhea in developing countries.

Flexible packaging provides a life-saving opportunity when it’s packed with all the necessary ingredients to treat diarrhea. The Zambian Ministry of Health has ordered approximately 452,000 kits to distribute to some of the most remote, high-risk areas of the country, according to ColaLife. Currently, the first 30,000 kits are being distributed and are being manufactured locally in Zambia. A distribution agreement was signed between ColaLife’s partners Keeper Zambia Foundation (KZF) and Medical Stores Ltd.

The Kit Yamoyo is recommended to treat diarrhea with oral rehydration salts (ORS) and zinc, according to ColaLife. The lightweight flexpack offers a measure for the water required to make up each of the four, 200ml sachets of ORS packed within, which is essential in rural African households since many rarely have measuring tools.

“Working closely with our packaging partner Amcor Flexibles, we came up with a way to keep the important functionality and attractiveness of our original trial package while ensuring that the kit comes at a cost that won’t require subsidy,” says Simon Berry, co-founder of ColaLife. “Then Amcor offered the first 870,000 Flexi-packs as a donation – a saving we’ve passed on to our local manufacturer and ultimately the customer.”

Key packaging aspects include that the see-through pack reveals the printed leaflet inside and that the pack lays flat, improving supply chain efficiency—and makes it easier for retailers to transport by bike.

Read the full article at Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News.

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