The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $2 million in emergency assistance for the World Health Organisation (WHO) to reinforce its capacity to help African countries contain the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its impacts.
The grant, which is in response to an international appeal by the WHO, would be used by the world body to equip Regional Member Countries to prevent, rapidly detect, investigate, contain and manage detected cases of COVID-19.
The gesture is part of the bank’s interventions to help member-countries address the pandemic which, while slow to arrive in Africa, is spreading quickly and is straining already fragile health systems.
Specifically, the WHO Africa region would use the funds to bolster the capacity of 41 African countries on infection prevention, testing and case management.
“WHO Africa will also boost surveillance systems, procure and distribute laboratory test kits and reagents, and support coordination mechanisms at national and regional levels,” a statement from the AfBD explained.
This grant, “will enable Regional Member Countries to put in place robust containment measures within 48 hours of COVID-19 case confirmation and also support the WHO Africa Region to disseminate information and increase public awareness in communities,” said the Bank’s Human Capital Youth and Skills Development Department.