Under a five year ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) with the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Etihad Cargo will help the humanitarian agency deliver COVID vaccination and medical care to children in need worldwide.
As per the partnership, Etihad Cargo will aid UNICEF’s Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative by transporting worldwide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, essential medicines, medical devices, and other critical supplies in response to the ongoing pandemic. They will manage all requirements through its COVID-19 Workforce.
The UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative is known for bringing together global airlines that cover routes to more than 100 countries. They operate in support of the COVAX Facility – a global effort aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. The initiative also operates with a global logistics preparedness mechanism for other humanitarian and health crises over the longer term.
“With extensive experience and expertise in safe and efficient pharmaceutical logistics, Etihad Cargo will leverage its IATA CEIV-certified PharmaLife specialised pharmaceutical and healthcare product for the transportation of pharmaceuticals under temperature control which, under the membership of Abu Dhabi’s The HOPE Consortium, is already offering a complete supply chain solution to aid global COVID-19 vaccine distribution” says Martin Drew, EAG Senior Vice President of Sales and Cargo.
In collaboration with UNICEF’s global freight forwarder network, Etihad Cargo will also offer high loading priority for vaccines and essential humanitarian supplies, shipment security, controlled cool chain monitoring, as well as proper adjustment to Etihad Cargo’s cold chain capacity to meet UNICEF’s forecast requirements.
During the past 12 months, Etihad Cargo has increased its pharmaceutical shipments by 50 per cent through PharmaLife. In addition to supporting global customers, this IATA CEIV-certified product has facilitated Etihad Cargo’s support of The HOPE Consortium’s efforts to serve the anticipated global demand for COVID-19 vaccines.