The World Bank has approved US$30 million in additional financing to the Republic of Rwanda for the acquisition and deployment of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, official reports revealed Thursday in Kigali.
This is the second additional financing for the Rwanda COVID-19 Emergency Response Project.
This bringsa total of US$45.19 million in World Bank contributions to the country’s national COVID-19 health response and vaccination campaign, the statement sad
Since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic the Government of Rwanda has acted swiftly and decisively to save lives and mitigate the economic impact of the crisis with strong results on the ground.
“The World Bank is pleased to support the government, in collaboration with other development partners, to undertake one of the boldest public health campaigns of our times that aims to vaccinate 60 percent of the population by 2022,” said Rolande Pryce, World Bank Rwanda
Country Manager.
“The vaccination program is a central piece of the government’s comprehensive plan to save lives and facilitate full reopening of the economy, putting the country back on a path towards more inclusive and sustainable growth. We are privileged to partner in this effort,” she
added.
The financing will also enhance development effectiveness by addressing emerging needs, such as improving access to oxygen therapy, screening for underlying chronic conditions and protecting essential health services. It will also bolster the capacity of the routine immunization system through investments in human resources, vaccine safety and monitoring as well as outreach activities and communications to sustain vaccine acceptance and uptake.
The project design is informed by readiness assessments conducted jointly with other partners.
“The operation builds and leverages on Rwanda’s strong childhood immunization program as well as pioneering work on the HPV and Ebola vaccines. With sustained political commitment, bold vision, and strong donor collaboration, Rwanda is off to a good start,” said Miriam
Schneidman, Lead Health Specialist, who led the preparation process.
“Since the arrival of the first vaccines one month ago, it is encouraging to see that the country has vaccinated nearly 3 percent of the population with the first dose.”
The World Bank has also mobilized a US$15 million grant from the Global Financing Facility to support and protect essential health and nutrition services which remain vulnerable to shocks during the ongoing pandemic.
Once approved, the grant will complement Rwanda’s ongoing COVID-19 response, and ensure that decades of progress in strengthening the health system will not be undermined by the pandemic.
CU/abj/APA