UNICEF Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) Situation Report No. 1
January-March 2022
Highlights
Since the start of the pandemic, 5.3 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered across 133 low- and middle[1]income countries (LMICs), with about one-quarter of these cumulative doses being administered in Q1 2022. To date, the COVAX Facility has shipped 1.48 billion doses to 145 countries.
As of 23 March 2022, 48.3 per cent of the population in LMICs has been fully vaccinated with the primary series of one or two COVID-19 vaccine doses. The share of fully vaccinated people in low-income countries is 11.6 per cent, having increased more than two-fold from 5 per cent within the reporting period.
Global availability of COVID-19 vaccines is sufficient to protect every adult and adolescent with a three-dose schedule, however distribution remains unequal. Vaccine supply to COVAX is now sufficient to fully meet demand from all countries, but there has been a slow-down in demand. Urgent action is needed to remove barriers to uptake of vaccines and to increase vaccination coverage.
With funds from the ACT-A Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal, in Q1 2022, UNICEF:
- Provided additional technical and financial support to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in 66 LMICs, including support to 20 countries out of the 34 countries prioritized by the COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership (CoVDP) with low COVID-19 vaccination coverage.
- Supported 45 LMICs to implement ACT-A-related people[1]centred approaches to Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) interventions.
- Increased access to COVID-19 tests, treatments and personal protective equipment (PPE) in the 30 most vulnerable countries with Humanitarian Response Plansi (HRP) by: procuring 1,137,500 antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests (Ag RDTs) and 22,500 point-of-care molecular tests for COVID-19; strengthening oxygen systems in 12 countries; and procuring and delivering quality PPE for 26 countries.
