COVAX

COVAX will close 31 December 2023 having delivered nearly 2 billion doses of vaccines to 146 economies, and averted an estimated 2.7 million deaths in AMC lower-income participating economies.   COVAX’s end-to-end efforts helped lower-income economies achieve two-dose coverage of 57 per cent, compared to the global average of 67 per cent.   Low-…

NEW YORK, 23 September 2022 - "Excellencies, distinguished guests, esteemed colleagues,  "Thank you for inviting me to represent UNICEF here today.  I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his leadership, and all my fellow panelists and participants for their partnership.     "The global network that came together to vaccinate the world…

NEW YORK/COPENHAGEN, 14 June 2022 – UNICEF has announced record-setting results in procurement and delivery for 2021. The total value of UNICEF-procured supplies and services reached more than $7.1 billion – a 61 per cent increase compared to 2020. Much of this procurement increase reflects UNICEF’s role in the global COVID-19 pandemic response,…

31 May 2022 When COVID-19 vaccines started to arrive in Bangladesh, people felt a rush of hope. Families and friends could meet again. Life would maybe feel more normal. And it meant schools might reopen.   For children in Bangladesh, the pandemic has been a crisis like no other, affecting their education, health and well-being. About 37 million…, Mammoth task to vaccinate over 115 million people with two doses , Across the country, frontline health workers have been working in urban slums, trekking across fields and navigating rivers to get doses into people’s arms. Thanks to their efforts, over 250 million doses have now been administered, with more than 115 million people receiving two doses of the vaccine.  Young volunteers like Mohammad Al Mamun have…, Key vaccination target within reach , Bangladesh has a strong track record of rolling out mass vaccination programmes, especially for diseases like measles and rubella. But getting COVID-19 doses to communities across the country has presented specific challenges. When COVID-19 vaccines were initially developed and hit the market, wealthy countries bought most of the supplies. That…, Challenges ahead , As Bangladesh continues its push to vaccinate millions more people, the country still faces challenges.   There are still many difficult-to-reach populations, including some older, more vulnerable people. Recent data has shown that about 60 per cent of those aged 60 and over have yet to be vaccinated in Bangladesh, with some citing a lack of…

COVAX has access to enough COVID-19 vaccines to help protect 70% of the population in 91 lower-income countries Demand and uptake are low, with low-income countries remaining furthest behind To close the global vaccine equity gap, COVAX calls on countries to set ambitious targets for implementation and on all partners to ensure countries have the…, DEMAND AND DELIVERY, With more than 3.8 billion COVID-19 doses administered to-date, national governments in lower-income countries have led the way. The number of countries with coverage under 10% of the population has decreased from 34 in January to 18 today. Some AMC-supported countries – for example, Bhutan, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Maldives, Fiji and Bangladesh – have…, SUPPLY, It is testament to the ground-breaking work of the scientific and manufacturing communities that there is now enough global supply to meet needs, as is the fact that it took only 327 days to go from the SARS-CoV-2 virus being sequenced and published to bringing a COVID-19 vaccine into emergency use. As we strive to help countries deploy more doses…

When UNICEF helped launch the largest vaccine operation effort in history, the focus was to make sure that every community was protected from COVID-19. And since the COVAX initiative began in February 2021, more than 1.4 billion doses have reached more than 140 countries.   In some cases, a vaccine represents an opportunity to see and hug a…, Thanks to more vaccines and the efforts of volunteers, Bangladesh's vaccination rate has risen sharply , When the first COVID-19 vaccines supplied by COVAX touched down in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, in June 2021, less than four per cent of all adults were fully vaccinated. Fast forward less than a year and that number has risen dramatically. By the beginning of April, 67 per cent of the population had received two doses.   COVAX has played a…, Grandparents in Peru are able to see and hug their grandchildren thanks to the COVID-19 vaccines  , Artemio Baldoceda is a grandfather and he speaks for so many when he describes what it means to him to get the COVID-19 vaccine.  “Joy in my heart because I’m getting a little more life to have my family, and for my family to have me. You miss the grandchildren, especially. One waits for that moment to come when you can bear hug them.”  Artemio…, Viet Nam’s vaccination rate has soared in just half a year, meaning that almost every adult is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 , There’s been a rapid rise in the COVID-19 vaccination rate in Viet Nam over the past few months. In September 2021, less than 10 per cent of all adults in the country had received both doses. But by April 2022, more than 78 per cent of those aged over 12-years had been given two shots.  UNICEF has been working with Viet Nam’s government to provide…, Making sure that remote and disaster-prone communities in the Philippines have access to COVID-19 vaccines  , In the Philippines, the COVID-19 vaccination rate has risen significantly recently. Back in September 2021, less than 18 per cent of the population had been fully vaccinated. Half a year later, by April 2022, that vaccination rate now stands at more than 59 per cent. About one in three of all the COVID-19 vaccines that have been given to people in…, COVAX moving forward, As the number of COVID-19 vaccines on the market has increased, there are today enough doses to meet the needs of low- and middle-income countries. So, the focus now is less about resolving supply constraints. Instead, the priority moving forward is to make sure that vaccines are turned into vaccinations. That means supporting countries with…

As prepared. “Mr President, your Excellencies, dear colleagues, “Thank you for the opportunity to address you today.  We congratulate the UK on its Presidency and appreciate convening, with the UAE, the Council to recognize the importance of accelerating progress in COVID-19 vaccination as a key milestone towards ending this pandemic. “Just over 1…

NEW YORK/COPENHAGEN, 22 March 2022 – UNICEF has signed a supply agreement with Pfizer for the procurement of up to 4 million treatment courses of the new oral antiviral medicine nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (PAXLOVID™) in 2022. UNICEF procurement of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (PAXLOVID™) is dependent on country demand, clinical recommendations and necessary…

In far-western Nepal, healthworker Ravi Chhayajyoti carries COVID-19 vaccines to a vaccine centre on foot. In far-western Nepal, healthworker Ravi Chhayajyoti carries COVID-19 vaccines to a vaccine centre on foot. The doses on his back are among the more than one billion that have reached people's arms through the COVAX programme. One year ago, a…, Focusing on the supply chain , What's the issue? It’s essential that low-income countries are not only receiving vaccines, but also have the necessary financial resources to get hold of the other tools that are crucial to getting the doses get into arms. Think about all the syringes you need. The transportation that’s required. The ultra-cold chain freezers that store the…, Improving health systems  , We’ve spoken about the key supply and procurement issues that need to be addressed in 2022 to make sure that vaccines get to where they’re needed. But getting COVID-19 vaccines to people in low-income countries doesn’t just mean sending the doses. In every country, you need:   An increased number of trained healthcare workers, like doctors and…

World leaders launch campaign to meet the US$ 16 billion ACT-Accelerator funding gap and US$ 6.8 billion in-country delivery costs to take vital steps towards ending the pandemic as a global emergency in 2022.  The ACT-Accelerator initiative works to overcome vast global inequities by providing low- and middle-income countries with access to COVID…

Right now – today, and for the next year – we can, and must, continue to make history together by helping to end the COVID-19 pandemic everywhere. Since COVID-19 vaccines became available, UNICEF has been engaging to promote vaccine uptake and infection prevention and control behaviours, together with governments and communities, and with support…

NEW YORK/COPENHAGEN, 18 January 2022 – UNICEF has signed several long term agreements (LTA) with suppliers for the procurement of the new antiviral medicine Molnupiravir.   UNICEF procurement of Molnupiravir is dependent on clinical recommendations, regulatory approvals and compliance with UNICEF quality assurance requirements. In December, the US…