UNICEF’s Vaccine Fund provides members the opportunity to help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic while protecting some of the world’s most vulnerable children and helping them to realise their potential. Through their support of UNICEF’s world-leading vaccination programmes in over 100 countries, Vaccine Fund members deliver impact for children at a truly global scale.
A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPACT
Immunisation saves 2 to 3 million lives each year.
Yet, conflict, displacement and poverty keep some of the most vulnerable children from getting the vaccines that can protect them from preventable diseases.
This means that over 1.5 million people die annually from diseases that can be prevented by vaccination.
In 2019, 13.5 million infants did not receive any vaccines and now, COVID-19 threatens the delivery of life-saving vaccinations for millions of children globally. 117 million children are at risk of missing out on measles vaccines.
TACKLING COVID-19: JOIN A ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION CHALLENGE
The COVID-19 pandemic has touched every aspect of our lives, with a scale and speed unseen in our lifetimes. Without a truly worldwide operation, COVID-19 will continue to hurt our families, damage our economies, and rob children of their prospects for good health, a good education, and a bright future.
To respond, global organisations are coming together. UNICEF has joined with partners, like the WHO, in the ground-breaking COVAX initiative to guarantee fair and equitable access for people in every country in the world. As part of this historic effort, UNICEF is leading the global procurement and delivery of billions of vaccine doses and helping the world’s 92 poorest countries deliver the largest health campaign in history.
The first stage of this mammoth task involves:
- Diagnostic tests and treatments to identify and save lives of those infected.
- Syringes and specialist supplies to administer the vaccine safely. This year alone, UNICEF will stockpile 520 million syringes and 5 million safe disposal boxes.
- Cold chain equipment to keep vaccines effective from manufacture right through to the ‘last mile’ –transported by foot, boat, motorbike or donkey to some of the world’s most remote locations.
- Training for health workers so they can safely distribute the brand-new vaccines, tests and medications they are using for the first time in their working lives.
- Delivering trusted and accurate information to tackle rumours and fake news -reaching people with accurate messages in the right languages, whether by megaphone, posters, community leaders, or TV, radio and social media.
If you are interested in learning more about COVAX and UNICEF’s work to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to the world’s most vulnerable communities through the Vaccine Fund, please contact UNICEF Ireland’s Head of Philanthropy, Donna Marie O’Donovan
TEAMING UP WITH A WORLD LEADER
As the world’s largest children’s organisation, the scale and the impact UNICEF can achieve for children by leveraging its infrastructure, economies of scale, expertise and global reach is truly unique.
In terms of vaccines alone, each year UNICEF procures an estimated 2 billion doses of vaccines and reaches approximately 45% of the world’s children under five, in over 100 countries.
Impartial and non-political, with transparency and accountability at the core of our approach, we work relentlessly to protect children, to build a better world for everyone. UNICEF is funded entirely by voluntary contributions.
UNICEF’s immunisation programme works in over 100 countries with partners in governments, NGOs, and the private sector to provide immunisation to the children who need it the most.
The Vaccine Fund supports UNICEF’s immunisation programmes working in the following areas:
- Fighting deadly diseases
- Eradicating polio
- Tackling misinformation
INVESTING FOR EVERY CHILD
UNICEF’s Vaccine Fund offers members the opportunity to change the lives of children across the world. By pooling their investment together, members can achieve greater impact and make their support go further for children.
Membership commitments
An individual or company pledges from €25,000 per year for 2 years.
€25,000 can help UNICEF vaccinate more than 5,000 of the world’s most vulnerable people with two doses of vaccine and by joining now, as COVID- 19 vaccinations begin rolling out across the world, you can help bring this crisis to an end.
If you are interested in learning more about UNICEF's Vaccine Fund, please contact UNICEF Ireland’s Head of Philanthropy, Donna Marie O'Donovan
