April 24, 2024 – Nine Pacific countries will further protect children from life-threatening diseases by scaling up immunization programs run by UNICEF in collaboration with ministries of health and with funding from Rotary since 2020. It is working.
The commitment will add vaccines for pneumococcal disease, rotavirus and human papillomavirus (HPV) to the national immunization program. The vaccine rollout will benefit children in Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue, Tokelau and Kiribati.
Jonathan Veitch, UNICEF Regional Director for the Pacific, said: “Immunization is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions ever, safely reducing the threat of disease and ensuring children grow up healthy and happy. It's helping,” he said.
“I would like to thank Rotary and the governments of the Pacific Islands for this important long-term partnership with UNICEF to protect children and young people from vaccine-preventable diseases. It is the leading cause of child deaths in the Pacific region,” Veitch said.
In the Pacific region, pneumonia and diarrhea are among the top three causes of death in children under 5 years of age, and approximately one third of deaths from pneumonia are due to pneumococcal disease.
Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhea in children under 5 years of age. Severe diarrhea can cause dehydration, especially in young children, and can be life-threatening if left untreated.
Introduction of the HPV vaccine to adolescent girls will contribute to reducing preventable deaths, as the incidence of cervical cancer is high in the Pacific region, mostly due to HPV infection.
UNICEF works to improve routine prevention in Pacific Island countries by strengthening effective vaccine management practices, building demand for vaccines through community outreach, and enabling governments to procure and supply affordable, high-quality, effective vaccines. We will continue to support the vaccination program.
Since rotary “A future for all children” Since the project's inception, we have supported countries to strengthen supply chains, including cold chain systems, to ensure all children have timely access to safe and potent vaccines.
Delivering vaccines to the most remote islands and communities is the job of healthcare workers in the Pacific. To get vaccines to every child, we will have to climb mountains, cross rivers, and ride horses and boats.
James Allen, Rotary Project Director, who leads Rotary's fundraising efforts in Australia and New Zealand, said: “Pacific countries are our neighbors and we are proud of the work we have done to protect children and adolescents in the region from life-threatening risks such as pneumonia, diarrhea and cervical cancer. It causes serious illness.”
“Rotary is working to strengthen communities and health systems to ensure mothers and children everywhere have access to sustainable health care. Generations of children in Australia and New Zealand have benefited from these We know how important preventive care is for infants and children, as we benefit from a free routine immunization program against diseases.
“I congratulate the nations of the Pacific for their commitment to continue for decades to come the important work that Rotary has begun with UNICEF and ministries of health for the benefit of the Pacific Islands' youngest people,” Allen said. Ta.
To date, Rotary fundraisers have donated US$3.9 million through projects carried out by UNICEF in collaboration with national departments of health and with support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
UNICEF remains committed to ensuring that all children and young people live healthy, happy lives and reach their full potential.
About Rotary
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges and creating lasting change. Rotary unites his 1.4 million people active from his more than 46,000 Rotary clubs in nearly every country in the world. Their services improve lives in their communities and beyond, from supporting people in need in their communities to working towards a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in more than 190 countries, in the world's hardest-to-reach regions, to reach the most disadvantaged children.
UNICEF Australia works with local partners to give children a voice, protect their rights and help them reach their potential at every stage of life, here and in neighboring countries. We rely entirely on voluntary donations to provide lifesaving support. Improving maternal and child health, education and nutrition. and respond to global emergencies. For more information about UNICEF Australia and its work with children, visit www.unicef.org.au.
UNICEF Pacific works with and for disadvantaged children and youth in the Pacific Islands. Our goal is to bring the nation together to work together on behalf of our most vulnerable children.
To learn more about UNICEF Pacific and its work for children, visit the UNICEF Pacific website. twitter and facebook
For more information, please contact us below.
Belinda Skridlova, UNICEF Australia, +61 402 012 531, bskridlova@unicef.org.au
Zubna Khan, UNICEF Pacific Region, +679 9988137, zukhan@unicef.org
Sadie Beckman, UNICEF New Zealand, +64 210 731 313, sadie@unicef.org.nz
Angela Stavrogiannopoulos, Rotary International, +61 402 934 129, angela.stavrogiannopoulos@rotary.org
