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The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) donates 30 refrigerated vans for the transportation of vaccines to Ukraine for all regions of the country. The first 10 vehicles were handed over by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine M. Russell during her official visit.
"Vaccines in Ukraine are transported and stored in strict compliance with the requirements specified by the manufacturer, despite the challenges to the health care system brought about by the full-scale invasion of Russia. The provided refrigerated vans are the next stage in the upgrade of the cold chain, which will allow not only to quickly deliver vaccines to the regions that need them, but also, with the involvement of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in this process, to use immunoprophylaxis more effectively. In this way, we will be able to ensure uninterrupted access to vaccines in each individual health care facility. The first pilot delivery of vaccines to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will begin shortly in the Lviv region," said Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko.
The provided refrigerated vans are equipped with special cooling equipment with a capacity for transporting of 4 cubic meters of vaccines at a temperature of +2...+8 С˙.
Ukraine is also starting to receive vaccines procured by UNICEF with donor funds - the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Japanese Government. Vaccines against polio, diphtheria and tetanus, measles-mumps-rubella, and rabies are to be provided to Ukraine as humanitarian aid - with a total of more than 1.5 million doses.
"During the war, the risk of spreading infectious diseases increases significantly. That is why it is so important to vaccinate children and adults on time. UNICEF continues to support Ukraine at this critical time to reduce the terrible consequences of war for people," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine M. Russell.
In 2021, the Ministry of Health, in partnership with UNICEF and with the support of the US Government and the World Bank, started an upgrade to the cold chain for transporting and storing of vaccines. Cold boxes, vaccine carriers, ice-packs, and temperature monitoring devices were delivered to Ukraine. This equipment is used for transportation and storage of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccines included in the national vaccination schedule.
UNICEF, together with partners, continues to support Ukraine in responding to the emergency humanitarian situation created by the war: providing medicines and medical equipment, capacity building of healthcare workers, repairing bomb shelters in Ukrainian hospitals, providing psychological, consulting and material assistance to families with children, conducting educational and other activities for children, their parents, social workers and educators, etc.
Media contacts
Nina Sorokopud
Chief of Communication
UNICEF in Ukraine
Email: nsorokopud@unicef.org