NAIROBI, Apr 2 (NNN-KBC) – The African Development Bank (AfDB) said, it approved around 208 million Kenyan shillings (about two million U.S. dollars) in emergency assistance for the World Health Organisation (WHO), to strengthen its capacity to help African countries contain the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its impacts.
AfDB said, WHO Africa region, will use the funds to bolster capacity of 41 African countries, on infection prevention, testing and case management.
“This grant will enable regional member countries to put in place, robust containment measures, within 48 hours of COVID-19 case confirmation, and support WHO Africa region, to disseminate information and increase public awareness in communities,” the Bank’s human capital youth and skills development department said, in a statement.
The lender said, the assistance, which is in response to an international appeal by WHO, will be used by the world body to equip regional member countries to prevent, rapidly detect, investigate, contain and manage detected cases of COVID-19.
It said, the assistance is one part of several AfDB interventions to help member countries address the pandemic which, though slow to arrive in Africa, is spreading quickly and is straining already fragile health system.
“WHO Africa will also boost surveillance systems, procure and distribute laboratory test kits and reagents, and support coordination mechanisms at national and regional levels,” said AfDB.
It said, the grant will contribute towards a 50-million-dollar WHO Preparedness and Response Plan, which other partners, including the United Nations system, are also supporting.
It is estimated that Africa will require billions of dollars to cushion the impact of the disease, as many countries scramble together contingency measures, including commercial lock-downs, in efforts to contain it.
AfDB said, it will unveil a financial assistance package, that will enable governments and businesses to undertake flexible responses, to lessen the economic and social impact of this pandemic.– NNN-KBC
