Procuring supplies for children

Early childhood

IRAQ: A smiling boy fills his cupped hands with water at a UNICEF supplied water source in the village of Kanikan. UNICEF procures a wide range of commodities for water and sanitation

UNICEF promotes an integrated approach to early childhood development, ensuring that children get the best start in life through appropriate child and maternal health, nutrition, water and sanitation, hygiene and recreation opportunities. Supplies are central to these efforts, and constitute a significant proportion of what UNICEF procures. These supplies include water, environment and sanitation items, medical equipment, mosquito nets, micronutrients and essential medicines.

Supply Division is constantly striving to develop new items to address the needs of young children. For example, a basic family water kit has been developed for use in emergencies. It is designed to cover the needs of 10 families, and contains buckets, soap, water containers, water purification tablets and disinfectant.

Supplies are important components of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, which aims to protect young children and pregnant women from malaria.

Essential medicines provide safe, effective treatment for the infectious and chronic diseases that affect the vast majority of the world's population. Supply Division is a centre of expertise on the quality, manufacture, regulatory requirements and purchasing of essential medicines.

Water and sanitation supplies are used to encourage communities and local governments to raise awareness about hygiene and improve access to safe drinking water.

Nutrition - About 150 million children under five – one in four - are malnourished. UNICEF procures nutritional supplies such as high protein biscuits and micronutrients to combat this.

Latest

Improved formula for oral rehydration salts.

Sources and Prices of Selected Products for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Malaria

Medicines to treat malaria