Norah Magero : the Kenyan engineer transforming access to rural healthcare
A young mother from eastern Kenya, Norah Magero found herself facing a vital challenge: how to keep vaccines and medicines cold in a region where electricity is unreliable? From this simple yet urgent question came an invention that has now become famous—the Vacci Box—and an entrepreneurial journey that inspires the entire African continent.
An engineer by training, Norah Magero never imagined becoming an entrepreneur. Daily life pushed her in that direction. In her remote village, access to healthcare was complicated. Power cuts were so frequent that taking her daughter to the clinic for a simple vaccination became a real race against time. “We experienced frequent power cuts, and it was always an emergency to get her vaccinated,” she told a UN News team during the UNIDO World Industrial Summit in Riyadh, where she was participating.
Vaccines, insulin, blood bags… an immense challenge
She soon discovered that her own problem was in fact shared by millions of families. In rural areas of Kenya and across Africa, keeping temperature-sensitive medical products—vaccines, insulin, blood bags—is an immense challenge. Without a reliable cold chain, the quality of healthcare collapses, and health centres lack the means to save lives.
Her flagship invention, the Vacci Box: a small, sturdy, mobile refrigerator powered by solar energy, easily transportable
Driven by her technical expertise, Norah decided to act. She created Drop Access, a health-tech company dedicated to innovations for rural regions. Her flagship invention, the Vacci Box, is a game changer: a small, sturdy, mobile refrigerator powered by solar energy, capable of maintaining medical products at the right temperature while remaining easily transportable—on a motorbike taxi, a bicycle… or even a donkey. A simple, brilliant solution, designed for real-world conditions.
But Norah’s genius goes beyond technical innovation. Through her networks, she connected with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which provided her with training, mentoring, and tools to structure her company. This step proved decisive: she became a successful entrepreneur, committed to social impact and inclusion.
Many health centres equipped in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Côte d’Ivoire
Today, Drop Access operates in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Côte d’Ivoire, and now aims to expand across the continent as well as into South-East Asia. Vacci Boxes already equip numerous health centres, allowing professionals to store vaccines and medicines in optimal conditions, even in the most remote areas.
In 2025, Norah Magero received the “Women in Industry” award at the World Industrial Summit—an honour that celebrates both her ingenuity and her commitment to a more inclusive industry. The summit also dedicated an entire day to the role of innovative women entrepreneurs and decision-makers, reminding the world that the future of industry must be built with them.
