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DP World and Unicef partner up on global vaccine distribution

By Eudore Chand

Location: Ondjiva, Cunene Province, Angola More than 11 million doses of the Yellow Fever vaccines have already been received and dispatched in Angola. More is being distributed during a massive 10 days campaign. There is no cure for Yellow Fever. It can only be prevented. A single dose of yellow fever vaccine is sufficient to give an individual life-long protection against the virus. This is just one of the reasons why UNICEF needs the support of donors to fund the critical work that saves children’s lives. In a country where government resources are stretched to the limit to respond to the impact of El Nino on the urgent need for nutrition, water and livelihood support, the Yellow Fever outbreak is another cruel blow for Angola. Yellow Fever is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito and is difficult to diagnose in the early stages. The fever, headache, and muscle pain are reminiscent of malaria or dengue fever. A small number of patients who contract the Yellow Fever develop severe symptoms. Half of those will die within 7 to 10 days. What UNICEF is doing to address the Yellow Fever outbreak: • UNICEF has supported the procurement and distribution of 11,662,500 doses of Yellow Fever vaccines. • UNICEF has donated 100 cold boxes, 100 vaccine carriers and 4,000 ice packs to allow vaccine teams to keep the vaccines at a proper temperature during the all-important cold chain. • Social mobilizers have trained vaccinators to accelerate mass vaccination campaigns. • UNICEF is playing an essential role in providing technical support in outbreak investigation and control plans, as well as in the development of national and provincial response plans. There are additional still images and video footage to support this story, including a few more details about the children and UNICEF workers appearing in these shots. For more information kindly contact ML Lalonde, Fundraising Engagement Manager, PFP Geneva, at MLLalonde@unicef.org For more on the r

DUBAI 28 January 2021: DP World and UNICEF have announced a wide-ranging partnership to support the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and related immunization supplies in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

The new multi-million-dollar partnership is the largest established to date to support UNICEF’s leading role in procuring and supplying two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines and auxiliary vaccination supplies on behalf of the COVAX Facility, the global pooled procurement mechanism aimed at ensuring fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. DP World and UNICEF will also collaborate on other global programs in support of education, health, women’s empowerment and water and sanitation.

DP World, a leader in global end-to-end supply chain logistics, will provide UNICEF with logistics solutions and supply-chain expertise. By using DP World’s warehouse facilities in Dubai, UNICEF will have optimal access to many countries. In addition, DP World has committed to leveraging its global logistics infrastructure and services on a pro-bono basis in support of COVID-19 vaccine logistics needs, including transport, port and storage requirements in countries where DP World is present. Dubai is currently used by UNICEF as a strategic hub for pre-positioning auxiliary materials needed for the COVID-19 vaccine campaigns, such as syringes and safety boxes.

Above: Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World. Below: Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director

The agreement was signed by Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director, and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World. The partnership, which arose from UNICEF’s collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s Supply Chain and Transport Community, of which DP World is a member, seeks to promote collective action from the global community to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.

“Distributing COVID-19 vaccines is humanity’s biggest logistics challenge since the end of the Second World War,” said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. “We offer our infrastructure and expertise to support this effort because everyone should have access to vaccines, especially the most vulnerable in our society. Unless the vaccine is available to all, the pandemic will not end for anyone.”

“The pandemic has turned children’s worlds upside down, disrupting their education, health and protection,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “Vaccines will be a big step towards putting children’s lives back on track. This new partnership will support our collective efforts to ensure equitable, affordable and sustainable access to COVID-19 vaccines.”

On 6 March 2018 in India, yet to be labelled pentavalent vaccines being stored in the cold room. The pentavalent vaccine is a single vaccine that protects against five major childhood diseases: hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Suppliers producing pentavalent vaccines at affordable prices ensure millions of children have access to life-saving vaccines.

Under this partnership, DP World and UNICEF will also collaborate to address logistical bottlenecks hindering children and their families’ access to essential supplies through advocacy and sharing of knowledge and expertise.