MANILA, Philippines 鈥斅� The Philippine government through the Department of Health (DOH) received a P145.5 million grant from the Canadian government to boost routine immunization among children.
The fund, which will be used for COVID-19 vaccination, routine immunization, and approaches that make primary health care accessible for Filipinos, was also part of DOH鈥檚 partnership with the United Nations Children鈥檚 Fund (Unicef).
READ: Unicef urges more focus on vaccine shots for kids
鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful for Canada鈥檚 generous PHP 145.5 million in support, reflecting a shared commitment to boost public health in the Philippines. Our collaboration with UNICEF integrates COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization, prioritizing areas with the highest number of unvaccinated individuals,鈥� said Heath Secretary Teodoro Herbosa in a statement on Tuesday.
鈥淯sing a gender-responsive approach, we aim to achieve 95 percent coverage, addressing our standing as one of the top five countries with the highest number of zero-dose children. This partnership signifies a concerted effort to reach those not covered in previous years, Dahil sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Buhay Mahalaga,鈥� he added.
According to the DOH, the partnership between the health department, the Canadian government, and Unicef prioritizes provinces and cities with the highest number of children with zero immunization and areas with the biggest number of unvaccinated individuals for COVID-19 booster vaccines.
The areas, the DOH said, include select municipalities in the provinces of Antique, Davao Del Norte, and Sarangani; General Santos City; and the Special Geographic Area in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
As of 2022, only 637,000, or 60 percent of Filipino children have been fully immunized.
According to the DOH, 鈥渕illions鈥� of children with zero or incomplete vaccination remain at risk of deadly diseases like measles and polio.
The country has also not reached the ideal 95 percent vaccination coverage, the health department added.