Zurich Foundation announced £800,000 donation to support UNICEF’s distribution of COVID-19 vaccines
05/11/2021
Zurich’s charitable arm – Z Zurich Foundation has announced an initial donation of 1 million Swiss Francs (approx. £ 800,000) to UNICEF in support of the campaign to deliver 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines globally by the end of 2021.
UNICEF and partners have been working actively on the largest vaccination procurement and supply program in history in an effort to vaccinate frontline health care and social workers, as well as high risk and vulnerable people around the world. The Zurich Foundation is responding to one of the biggest needs linked to the pandemic, which is equitable access to vaccines, is the right thing to do and also is at the heart of our ambition. As part of our collaboration with UNICEF to support the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, we aim to help make COVID-19 vaccines available to as many people as possible, starting with those that are vulnerable and at risk. Now is the time to act and help save lives.
Through the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX Facility) together with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO and CEPI, UNICEF is leveraging its unique experience as the largest single vaccine buyer in the world by working with manufacturers and partners on the procurement and supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses.
Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships said “Addressing the COVID-19 global pandemic requires all sectors to join hands and so we are happy to welcome the contribution from Z Zurich Foundation towards supporting equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Ending the pandemic is everyone’s business, because no one is safe until everyone is safe.”
Together with WHO, PAHO, GAVI and other partners at the global and regional levels, UNICEF is also working to support countries get ready and prepare for their COVID-19 vaccine roll-out. This includes assessing capacity and helping countries to strengthen their cold storage capabilities and supply chains so that countries have adequate infrastructure to transport and store the vaccines in-country.
At Zurich we are proud of this initiative as it’s the biggest humanitarian relief campaign in the history of the Z Zurich Foundation and an example of Zurich using the strength of our global business to create a brighter future for millions of people across the world.
To learn more about the Z Zurich Foundation, UNICEF and the COVAX Facility, please visit the Z Zurich Foundation News Release.
