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SHANGHAI, Nov. 7-- China's first import expo offers opportunities for UNICEF to better partner with businesses to address challenges faced by children around the world, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Shanelle Hall said in Shanghai. "It was exciting to be at the expo with thousands of businesses and prominent government officials from around the world -- all important stakeholders for children," said Hall in an interview with Xinhua during the ongoing China International Import Expo (CIIE). The week-long expo attracted over 400,000 purchasers and 3,600 companies from across the globe, including top pharmaceutical companies and other manufacturers of children-related products, which drew attention from UNICEF under its ever-growing collaboration with international businesses. In 2017, UNICEF procured goods and services worth 3.46 billion U.S. dollars to supply 150 countries and areas, including vaccines and biologicals, nutrition and pharmaceuticals. "Businesses have always been a part in our story," Hall said. Hall said she was attracted by health technologies such as emerging diagnostics and products related to children's development like high-tech toys. "We love to see the inventions and pursuit by the thousands of businesses here," said Hall, who noted that "learning" was one of their purposes of attending the CIIE, also regarding the expo as a good platform for UNICEF to search for items for procurement. | 
