CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.– The AmerisourceBergen Foundation, an independent not-for-profit charitable giving organization focused on supporting health-related causes that enrich the global community, has committed $150,000 to the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign to support vaccine equity, protecting the world’s most vulnerable children from devastating diseases. The funding will be used toward vaccine interventions in marginalized populations, such as refugee communities, and will specifically support vaccine delivery, transportation logistics and community engagement.
The grant comes on the heels of World Refugee Day, an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of vaccine-preventable diseases have exacerbated inequities and risks facing migrants and refugees. The Foundation’s partnership with Shot@Life will ensure the global refugee population is not overlooked in global health equity efforts.
“We’re committed to supporting efforts that expand vaccine access and advance health equity for every community, especially those most vulnerable. We recognize how instrumental the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign is for under-resourced communities, especially as vaccine inequities continue to persist across the globe,” said Gina Clark, President of the AmerisourceBergen Foundation. “The AmerisourceBergen Foundation proudly supports Shot@Life in its goal of increasing access to life-saving vaccines to children around the world, as well as engaging with communities to build trust and confidence, truly meeting individuals where they are.”
Shot@Life aims to increase access to lifesaving vaccines across the globe through direct support to organizations on the frontlines, as well as equipping grassroots advocates in the U.S. to build vaccine confidence and raise awareness about the importance of investing in global immunization programs.
“As Shot@Life looks back at more than 10 years since our founding, we are humbled by the role we have played helping to improve access to global immunization. And at no greater time has our work been more critical than over the past two years of this global pandemic,” said Martha Rebour, Executive Director of Shot@Life. “We’re grateful for the AmerisourceBergen Foundation’s support, and together, we’ll ensure refugee communities across the globe have equitable access to vaccines.”
For the past 10 years, Shot@Life has rallied support from the public, members of Congress, businesses, and civil society partners to support and invest in global childhood immunization initiatives. Shot@Life has more than 350,000 supporters and 3,000 grassroots advocates located across the United States, working to ensure every child has access to lifesaving vaccines.
Since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, the Foundation has committed more than $2 million to regional, national, and global nonprofit organizations that have launched campaigns or initiatives to support communities or individuals impacted by COVID-19. And, it has partnered with the United Nations Foundation previously on a number of initiatives, including: the Business Council for the United Nations, which nurtures cross-sector collaboration to advance action around global health and other critical issues; Equal Everywhere, a global gender equity initiative; and Protect Vaccine Progress, which seeks to educate the public on the impact that routine childhood immunizations have had on improving child health globally. For the past two years, Alliance Healthcare Norge Apotekdrift AS also partnered with Shot@Life through the “Get a Shot. Give a Shot.” program, which helped provide a polio or measles vaccine.
