May 11, 2021
AXA supports UNICEF’s global efforts to roll out COVID-19 vaccines to those most in need
COVID-19 has triggered an unprecedented global health, humanitarian and economic crisis, upending the lives of children and their families across the globe. Ensuring equitable access to safe and effective vaccines is a critical part of efforts to end the pandemic.
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At AXA, we believe it is our role to support global efforts to combat the global COVID-19 pandemic and help lives get back to normal. Vaccines for COVID-19 are critical tools for helping bring the pandemic under control. However, huge global demand means that not everyone will be able to get COVID-19 vaccines at the same time. We think it’s important to help get these vaccines distributed quickly and equitably around the world.
In this context, AXA is donating EUR 1.5M to UNICEF* and is among the first companies to support the organization’s role in delivering COVID-19 vaccines globally. (Note: €1.5m can help UNICEF deliver 2 doses of vaccine for 457,270 people)
This includes multiple activities to deliver vaccines in low- and middle-income countries, including planning and coordination, vaccine transport in-countries, training health staff, community engagement, getting cold chain equipment in place and providing health workers with personal protective equipment. This will support UNICEF’s global efforts to roll out COVID-19 vaccines in 98 countries.
Out of the 98 countries supported by UNICEF, AXA has a presence in Brazil, Lebanon, Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Nigeria, Philippines and Senegal.
Why UNICEF?
UNICEF is the lead delivery partner of COVAX (Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access), the global vaccine facility led by GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance), CEPI (Coalition for Innovation and the World Health Organization. COVAX is the vaccines pillar of the global Access to COVID19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A). It aims to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries globally.
COVAX has called upon UNICEF to procure and help deliver more than 2 billion COVID-19 vaccines for low- and middle-income countries. This initiative is unprecedented in scale and ambition. It will be the largest and fastest procurement, supply, country preparedness and delivery operation in history.
UNICEF is already the largest vaccine buyer and distributor in the world.
What are the objectives?
To get close to an equitable end to the crisis, the COVAX Facility aims to provide 2 billion vaccines to all countries participating in the Facility. UNICEF is leading this largest vaccine procurement and supply operation on behalf of the Global COVAX Facility, with a focus on priority groups (frontline health workers, and the most vulnerable). UNICEF is also supporting ACT-A’s efforts to increase access to COVID-19 tests and treatments.
Bringing the pandemic under control is a relentless effort and we are racing against new variants of an already highly contagious disease. Nobody is safe until we are all safe, and UNICEF urgently needs corporate donors to join the race and help ensure equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines.
*UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.
Why AXA?
As one of the largest global insurers, our Purpose is to act for human progress by protecting what matters. From the outset, AXA has been committed to acting as a force for collective good. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, AXA has supported healthcare efforts worldwide and the support to UNICEF for COVAX is is in the continuity of AXA’s Solidarity Response to the pandemic.
Be it protecting Emerging Customers, improving financial inclusion for remittances, women entrepreneurs, being part of international coalitions like B4IG, or protecting the rights and health of children, we have been committed for several years to protecting the most vulnerable and playing a positive role in society.
