CRH in support of UNICEF
UNICEF partner
CRH partners with UNICEF to help provide life-saving vaccines in fragile and conflict-affected countries
CRH, the leading provider of building material solutions, is partnering with UNICEF to build stronger, healthier communities for generations to come by investing in immunization programmes targeting fragile and conflict-affected regions. The partnership will deliver vaccines to at least 1.2 million of the world’s most vulnerable children, supporting them to grow up healthy with the opportunity to realize their full potential.
Vaccines are the safest way to keep children protected from life-threatening diseases. This partnership comes at a critical time as immunization rates have dropped to levels not seen since 2008. The years during the COVID-19 pandemic marked the worst reversal in routine immunization in decades, with falling coverage meaning that an increasing number of children across the world have not received a single dose of vaccine. The number of ‘zero dose’ cases rose from 13.3 million in 2019 to 18.2 million in 2021.
It is estimated that close to 50 per cent of infants who are partially or completely unvaccinated live in humanitarian settings, including in countries affected by conflict. Helping to deliver sustainable impact at scale, CRH is supporting UNICEF to enable conflict-affected countries with dire constraints on resources such as Sudan, Syria and Cuba, to provide essential vaccines to children by identifying and addressing gaps in routine immunization.
The partnership will also support countries such as Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Romania to address vaccine hesitancy and increase demand for vaccination in vulnerable communities, helping to build the capacity of health workers and supporting community information campaigns to bolster vaccine confidence and ensure vaccines are delivered where they are needed most.
"Vaccines are among the greatest advances in global health and development. Partnerships with the private sector are key to addressing the urgent need of vaccination efforts, especially in fragile and conflict affected countries. We are thankful for the generous support of CRH to UNICEF, which through a 15$M investment in our routine immunization programmes is helping shape a healthier and more equitable future for every child." said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Kitty Van der Heijden.
With the support of partners, UNICEF reaches almost half of the world’s children every year with lifesaving vaccines. In over 100 countries, UNICEF works with governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and other United Nations agencies to engage communities, procure and distribute vaccines, keep supplies safe and effective and ensure affordable access for even the hardest-to-reach families.
Together, CRH and UNICEF aim to lay the foundations of healthier communities for generations of children to come by combining CRH’s commitment to creating sustainable solutions that improve the world, with UNICEF’s global leadership in the procurement of vaccines, to build a brighter and healthier future for every child.
Last updated, April 2024.
*UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.