COVID-19: S. Sudan to benefit from World Bank’s $4bn fund
June 1, 2021 (WASHINGTON) – South Sudan is among the 51 developing countries to benefit from over $4billion provided by World Bank for purchase and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines.
“More than half of the financing comes from the International Development Association (IDA), the Bank’s fund for the world’s poorest countries, and is on grant or highly concessional terms,” the financial institution said in a statement.
It added, “This financing is part of the Bank’s commitment to help low- and middle-income countries acquire and distribute vaccines and strengthen their health systems”.
The World Bank reiterated calls to governments, pharmaceutical companies, and organizations involved in vaccine procurement and delivery to help increase transparency and build greater public information regarding vaccine contracts, options and agreements, vaccine financing and delivery agreements, doses delivered and future delivery plans.
The financial institution, however, asked those countries anticipating excess vaccine supplies in the coming months to release their surplus doses and options as soon as possible, in a transparent manner, to developing countries with adequate distribution plans in place.
“The World Bank is helping developing countries in every region of the world with vaccine purchase and rollout,” said Axel van Trotsenburg,?World Bank Managing Director of Operations.
“Significant challenges still remain regarding vaccine deployment and hesitancy. We are taking action on all fronts to tackle these challenges, working in solidarity with international and regional partners to expedite doses to as many people as possible and to enhance disease surveillance, preparedness, and response,” he added.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Bank Group has reportedly approved more than $150 billion to fight the health, economic and the social impacts of the global pandemic.
(ST)