Procuring supplies for children

Immunization

Lao DPR: A girl winces as she receives a measles injection at Don Na Souk Primary School in a suburb of Vientiane.

Vaccines and micronutrient supplementation save millions of lives each year. Almost every child can be reached with vaccines and supplements, even under the most difficult circumstances. UNICEF is the leading agency for vaccine procurement. In 2007 UNICEF supplied vaccines reaching 55 per cent of the world's children, worth $617 million.

UNICEF Supply Division is responsible for buying all vaccines and related items for global campaigns to eradicate polio, eliminate neonatal and maternal tetanus, and control measles. In addition, the Division procures vaccines for UNICEF-supported programmes, and for GAVI.

Procuring vaccines is complex. In recent years the market has changed, owing to a growing divergence between the types of vaccines used in industrialized and developing countries. The unpredictability of funding is another difficulty. UNICEF promotes vaccine security by working with manufacturers to ensure there is a reliable supply of quality, affordable vaccines, and with governments to assess their vaccine requirements.

UNICEF is concerned about vaccine safety. The organization only purchases vaccines from certified manufacturers, advocates the use of vaccine vial monitors, and has introduced vaccine arrival reports. In addition to the quality of vaccines, Supply Division promotes safe injection. The current focus is on auto-disable (AD) syringes, or single dose, pre-filled AD injection devices.