The Bretton Woods institution, through the International Development Association (IDA), has granted $134 million to Senegal for “equitable, reliable and affordable access to Covid-19 vaccines as well as their distribution” in the country.
By Ibrahima Dione
The state of Senegal has submitted a request to the World Bank (WB) for “additional resources” to fight Covid.
And the WB’s Board of Directors approved, on 2 June, this financing “half of which is a grant.”
Senegal’s Minister of Health and Social Action, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr said that the contribution of the financial institution “will make it possible to support the government’s efforts to acquire vaccines, improve their availability and strengthen geographical accessibility to the population.”
Nathan Belete, Director of Operations of the World Bank in Dakar, stressed that “Senegal (is) a model in the management of the pandemic.”
He went on to say that the country will succeed in meeting “an enormous challenge” by engaging in “an effective and inclusive communication campaign” and by ensuring “the availability of vaccines in all health centres in the country.”
Ultimately, the project should ensure “the vaccination of nearly 9.5 million people.”
This is about 55 percent of the population of Senegal, where only 458,167 people have received at least one dose of vaccine.
It must be said that in this West African country, vaccine scepticism persists.
According to Djibrilla Karamoko, project manager at the World Bank, there will be a multi-faceted communication campaign.
It will be part of a broader strategy of social engagement and mobilisation to fight vaccine resistance.
To do this, he said, the content will be tailored to specific priority groups to increase acceptance of the vaccine among the population.
The Washington DC-based financial institution had already offered its “technical assistance” to Senegal for the implementation of a National Emergency Response Plan to Covid-19.
In a first phase, it injected 25.5 million dollars into the Senegalese response plan in three tranches.
Overall, the World Bank has made available $12 billion to help low- and middle-income countries procure and distribute vaccines, tests and treatments for Covid and strengthen their immunisation systems.
ID/lb/as/APA