The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank on Wednesday approved a $4.16 million grant to South Sudan to support emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic and strengthen the country’s fragile health system.
The grant, from the Transitional Support Facility of the bank’s African Development Fund, will provide funding for a project to enhance the capacity of South Sudan’s health facilities as well as detection and control of cases of the virus.
In a statement seen by the EastAfrican, the organisation stressed that South Sudan remains at high risk due to a limited hospital bed capacity, skills gaps and lack of functioning medical equipment.
“The bulk of activities under the project will focus on improving facilities for management of Covid-19 cases, including procurement of oxygen cylinders and recruitment and training of health workers. It will improve capacity for detection of cases and the tracing of contacts” read the statement.
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According to the bank, the project will be implemented by a team at the World Health Organization in close coordination with South Sudan’s Ministry of Health.
AfDB says the project falls under the framework of its Covid-19 Response Facility of up to $10 billion, which is its main channel for helping to cushion African countries from negative health and economic impacts.
As of Friday, South Sudan had recorded 1,942 Covid-19 cases, with 224 recoveries and 36 deaths.
South Sudan became a member of the African Development Bank in 2012, shortly after gaining independence from Sudan in 2011.
DAILY NATION
