UNICEF Bringing Vaccines and Hope to the World

UNICEF is the Largest Vaccine Buyer in the World. They have a longstanding Expertise in Procurement and Logistics to help Save and Protect Children in need.

The Organization procures more than Two Billion Doses of Routine Vaccines Annually on behalf of nearly 100 Countries, reaching nearly Half of the World's Children under the age of Five.

Today, UNICEF is heading up Procurements and Supply for COVAX, a Global Initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to ensure Equitable Distribution of Approved COVID-19 Vaccines. UNICEF is playing a Leading Role in ensuring that Distribution across more than 180 Countries, including 92 Low-and Middle-Income Countries.

Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director, has called for a Global Commitment to Support COVAX. The whole World will remain Vulnerable to the Virus until Countries with the Weakest Health Systems are Protected from it as well. she says.

COVAX Partners aim to deliver at least Two Billion Coronavirus Vaccine Doses in more than 180 Countries by the End of 2021, enough to Protect High-Risk and Vulnerable People, as well as Front-Line Health Workers. Protecting Health Workers is critical to ensuring Children and their Mothers continue to get the Life-Saving Services they need and to Preventing One Disease from reversing Decades of Progress in Children's Health.

But getting Vaccines from Manufactures, to Countries, to Health Care Workers and Others, is a Mammoth Task. Especially Challenging is keeping the Vaccines at a Stable, Cold Temerature from the moment they leave the Manufactures until they are administered. Three Billion of the World's People live in places where Temperature-Controlled Storage is Insufficient.

UNICEF began strengthening the Cold Supply Chain long before Vaccine Approval. The Organization mapped-out Storage Facilities and needs across the Developing World while installing New Equipment including Solar-Powered Refigerators.

As part of a Program that started in 2017, with Support from GAVI, UNICEF continues to Procure and Support the Installation of 70,000 Cold-Chain Refrigerators in Lower-Income Countries by the End of 2021. This effort will be Intergal to the Rollout of COVID-19 Vaccines that need to be stored at 2 to 8 Degrees Celsius. Almost Half of these Refrigertors will be Solar Powered.

In South Sudan, for example, where less that a third of the population is Connected to mthe Power Grid, and where it is not uncommon for Daytime Temperatures to hit 100 Degrees Fahrenheit, UNICEF equpped more than 700 Health Facilities, about Half of the Country's Health facilities, with Solar Refrigerators.

And throughout West and Central Africa, UNICEF has bought and installed 20,000 Refrigerators since 2018 to facilitate Routine Immunizations for Children. Now these Refrigerators will be Key to the Government's Vaccine Distribution efforts.










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