New refrigerated vans for health facilities to improve access to life-saving vaccines for children

Ukraine’s vaccination services for children received a boost today with the handover of eight refrigerated vans to the Ministry of Health. The vans, procured and delivered by UNICEF with support from the European Union (EU), will be used by health facilities in Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Odesa, Sumy, Vinnytsia, Volyn and Zakarpattia regions.

This support will help strengthen the cold chain in Ukraine, particularly in front-line regions where health facilities and services have been heavily impacted by the war. The vans will also help ensure the availability of life-saving vaccines for internally displaced persons in western regions.

The vans are equipped with a specialized cooling unit that maintains the required temperature to transport vaccines safely and maintain their effectiveness. Each vehicle can store around 700,000 vaccine doses, helping ensure the availability of vaccines across the country so children can complete their routine vaccinations according to schedule, no matter where they are.

“Vaccination of children and adults is a fundamental service of the healthcare system that helps prevent the spread of dangerous infectious diseases, which can lead to severe complications or even death. For almost three years, we have been living under conditions of full-scale war. Despite this, the ministry ensures all opportunities for free vaccinations. Thanks to collaboration with international partners, we manage to maintain an uninterrupted supply of vaccines at the national level. In remote communities and de-occupied regions, mobile vaccination teams are actively working. At the same time, we are systematically improving the system for storing and transporting vaccines. Outdated equipment, including refrigerators and freezers, has been replaced with modern cold rooms and refrigeration equipment that meets global standards. Upgrading the vehicle fleet with refrigerated vans enhances logistics and strengthens the function of quality control for immunobiological products during transportation from warehouses to healthcare facilities,” said Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine.

Through the continued support of UNICEF and partners like the EU, around 95 per cent of healthcare facilities across Ukraine have now been equipped with cold chain equipment that meets global and European standards.

“Vaccination plays a crucial role in protecting public health, particularly in Ukraine, where the healthcare system has endured the effects of the devastating Russian war. The EU, in partnership with UNICEF, is committed to ensuring access to vaccines for Ukrainians, especially those living in the frontline areas, and I’m pleased to see promising results today, offering hope that even more Ukrainian children will be protected against dangerous diseases,” said Marianna Franco, the Head of the European Union Humanitarian Aid Office in Ukraine.

Earlier this month, UNICEF delivered 700 specialized refrigerators to Ukraine. Procured with funds from the EU and the Government of Japan, these refrigerators can maintain the required temperature for up to 2.5 days even without electricity. This is critical as attacks impacting energy infrastructure continue to cause power outages, disrupting the operations of Ukraine’s healthcare facilities.

“Ensuring access to life-saving vaccines for children, and that they complete their routine vaccinations on time, protects their right to good health,” said Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative to Ukraine. “These new vans and refrigerators will help strengthen routine immunization services in Ukraine, especially in front-line regions. Strengthening the vaccine cold chain is a critical intervention in our humanitarian response. It helps protect young lives today, and in years to come.”

UNICEF also delivered 100,000 diphtheria and tetanus vaccines in November this year, as part of its wider vaccine procurement efforts to help maintain supplies and prevent stockouts. In 2024, nearly 1.9 million doses of polio, diphtheria-tetanus for children and adults, measles-mumps-rubella, combined PENTA-Hib and COVID-19 vaccines were delivered to Ukraine with UNICEF support.

For more information, contact:

Vittorio Paolo Milanes
Communication Specialist
UNICEF Ukraine
vpmilanes@unicef.org

Notes to Editors:

UNICEF partners with the European Union, the Government of Japan, USAID, and the World Bank, and the COVAX initiative Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi) to provide holistic support to Ukraine’s childhood immunization efforts led through the Ministry of Health.