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Coronavirus: World Bank grants $100.4 Million in aid to Afghanistan
The World Bank said in a statement that the aid is dedicated to Afghanistan for the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project to help Afghanistan take effective action to respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 and strengthen its public health preparedness.
“This new fast track package will cover all 34 Afghan provinces and reinforce essential health care services to slow down the spread of COVID-19 across Afghanistan and deliver optimum care in the case of a surge in demand for treatment,” the statement said.
The statement noted that the financing will support infected people, at-risk populations, medical and emergency personnel as well as service providers, medical and testing facilities, and national health agencies.
The project is financed by a grant from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group’s fund for the poorest countries, in the amount of $100.4 million, of which $19.4 million is provided from the World Bank’s COVID-19 Fast-Track Facility. It will be implemented by the Ministry of Public Health supported by UN agencies and service providers already working under the Sehatmandi project.
“This emergency support package will help Afghanistan’s health system mitigate the impact of an outbreak and strengthen health services. The World Bank, together with the Government of Afghanistan and other partners, will work tirelessly to implement this project and is committed to helping Afghanistan lessen the impact posed by COVID-19 in the most effective way,” Kerali added.
The project will also help address significant negative externalities expected in the event of a widespread COVID-19 outbreak, including comprehensive health awareness and behavior change campaigns.
It comes as the number of positive cases for the Coronavirus has risen to 274 with six deaths in Afghanistan.