From the newsletter
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has delivered over one million doses of vaccines to Senegal using sea transport, a method long considered unsuitable for temperature-sensitive health commodities. The shipment, moved in 22 days, maintained full cold chain integrity, with temperatures held largely at 5°C.
As local pharmaceutical manufacturing scales up in Africa, supply reports from UNICEF suggest sea freight can cut transport costs by about 70%, enabling bulk distribution and reducing reliance on expensive air cargo.
Carbon emissions can also be reduced by over 90%. Sea freight is likely a key ingredient of large-scale pharmaceutical distribution on the continent in the future.
More details
The shipment relied on temperature-controlled refrigerated containers (reefers) with continuous power supply and near real-time monitoring to maintain cold chain conditions over the 22-day transit. This removed the need for insulated air cargo shippers, cutting packaging waste and reducing cargo weight. UNICEF also avoided split consignments common in air freight, lowering handling complexity and associated operational costs.
Sea freight reduced transport costs by around 70%, saving approximately $20,000, while also easing pressure from limited airline cargo capacity. According to UNICEF data, air shipments often require multiple dispatches due to space constraints, increasing total logistics spend. In contrast, sea freight supports higher volumes per shipment, improving procurement planning and inventory management for routine immunisation programmes.
Jean-Cedric Meeus, who leads global transport strategy at UNICEF, stated: “Sea freight will not replace air transport in emergencies. But for routine immunisation, it is proving to be a sustainable and reliable alternative. By diversifying transport modes and strengthening partnerships, we ensure that life-saving supplies keep moving, even in uncertain times.”
The Senegal delivery is UNICEF’s second maritime vaccine shipment, following its first pilot in 2025, when over 500,000 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine doses were transported from Belgium to Côte d’Ivoire in just over five weeks. That initial shipment validated the technical model, including cold chain control, route planning, and customs coordination.
Sea transport reduces vaccine delivery costs by about 70% and allows larger shipments, lowering handling complexity and packaging needs. It also cuts greenhouse gas emissions by over 90% while maintaining cold chain integrity, making it a reliable, scalable option for routine deliveries. For local pharmaceutical manufacturers in Africa, this approach can significantly reduce transport costs and improve supply chain efficiency.
Our take
While sea transport offers cost and sustainability benefits for routine vaccine delivery, it is not suitable for emergencies.
Its large shipment capacity, however, allows pre-positioning of vaccines for pandemics, making it a strategic tool for high-volume, planned responses alongside faster air transport.