Coronavirus pandemic: World Bank gives $1-billion emergency fund to India

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 3

The World Bank has approved a fast-track $1 billion “India Covid Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project” to help prevent, detect, and respond to the pandemic and strengthen public health preparedness. This is the largest-ever health sector support from the World Bank to India.

This support will cover all states and UTs and address the needs of infected people, at-risk populations, medical and emergency personnel and service providers, medical and testing facilities, and national and animal health agencies.

The World Bank Group is rolling out a $14 billion fast-track package to strengthen the Covid response in developing countries. As countries need broader support, the World Bank Group will deploy up to $160 billion over 15 months to protect the poor and vulnerable, support businesses, and bolster economic recovery.

The India-specific project will immediately enable the Government to scale-up efforts to limit human-to-human transmission. In parallel, it will improve the country’s capacity to respond to the Covid epidemic and be better prepared to respond to emerging disease outbreaks.

Procurement of testing kits; setting up of new isolation wards; infection prevention and control; and purchase of personal protective equipment, ventilators, and medicines, particularly in district hospitals and designated infectious disease hospitals will be scaled up under the project.

“The World Bank is working in close partnership with the Government to provide urgent and flexible support to the country. This operation is expected to enhance surveillance capacities, strengthen diagnostic systems and expand laboratory capacity,’’ said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director for India.

Ahmad said the World Bank recognises that Covid is not only a health challenge but has deep social and economic implications. Therefore, in parallel, it is working with the Government on social protection programs and economic measures that protect the livelihoods of people.

 It will also build a network of high containment Biosafety Level 3 laboratories.

The project will be managed by the National Health Mission (NHM), the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.