UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

Published purpose

The project aims to reduce the deaths of children under the age of five in Bangladesh. Its purpose is to improve the provision of vaccines and to reach children who live in underserved areas. The project is expected to increase the percentage of children who receive all vaccines with the right antigens, at the right time, from 79% to 85%. Specific project activities include: the procurement of approximately 10 million doses of oral polio vaccine and approximately 17 million doses of measles vaccine - enough for a second dose for those children who need it; the procurement, installation and commission of new equipment to ensure the proper handling of vaccines from the point of manufacture to the point of use; training for about 2,500 health workers; and communication campaigns that encourage vaccination of previously excluded children. The project is part of the Canadian International Immunization Initiative (CIII). The goal of the CIII is to increase and intensify immunization services for children at risk of contracting preventable and often fatal illnesses in low- and middle-income countries.