Procuring supplies for children
Vaccines
.jpg) |
| © UNICEF video |
| MYANMAR: Roving vaccinators visit a family with the polio vaccine preserved in a cold chain carrier case. |
UNICEF supplies vaccines reaching 56 per cent of the world's children as part of its commitment to improving child survival. The procurement of vaccines and related supplies is UNICEF's largest procurement activity. In 2008, UNICEF procured over 2.6 billion doses of vaccines, from polio and measles to tetanus, BCG and yellow fever vaccines, at a value of $633 million. These vaccines are used in routine immunization as well as in immunization campaigns.
The procurement of Oral Polio Vaccines (OPV) remains very high with 1.8 billion doses purchased by Supply Division in support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 2008. UNICEF together with other partners is working on developing a polio vaccine stockpile to support the post-eradication period in support of polio eradication and the development by WHO of post-eradication immunization policies. Supply Division further purchased approximately 173 million doses of measles vaccines bundled with safe injection devices, 106 million doses of BCG and 179 million doses of tetanus vaccines.
UNICEF Supply Catalogue
The UNICEF Supply Catalogue contains specifications for some 2,000 commodities based on the long experience of UNICEF Supply Division.
