The World Bank activated US$4.5 million on April 17 to provide immediate funding to assist Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to respond to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, with the focus on strengthening the capacity of that country’s health system.
According to the World Bank’s Country Director for the Caribbean, Tahseen Sayed, “The World Bank is working closely with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to help the health system prepare for the impacts of COVID-19 and to protect people, especially the most vulnerable.”
The financing, the Bank’s release stated, will be used to improve the ability to isolate patients, increase testing capacity, and purchase critical supplies, including personal protective equipment, mobile isolation units, testing equipment, reagents, gloves, and masks. It will also support preparedness and the response capacity for other public health emergencies by increasing access to medical equipment and expanding the capacity of hospital units.
These funds were mobilised under the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Regional Health Project using the Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC). CERCs allow funds to be reallocated from the project to be used for emergency response activities.
