Kenya to tap Sh1.01b AfDB fund to fight coronavirus
By Nicholas Waitathu, July 2, 2020
PACKAGE: Kenya is among 12 African countries to benefit from $9.52 million (Sh1.01 billion) African Development Fund to enhance Covid-19 response in East and Horn of Africa and the Comoros.
Directors of the fund, the concessional financing window of the bank group , approved the grants to boost responses to the Covid-19 pandemic in the region.
Martha Phiri, Director for Human and Social Development explained that the grant, approved on June 26, 2020 is part of the $10 billion (Sh1.06 trillion) Covid-19 Rapid Response Facility established in April.
The facility complements the bank’s direct support to regional member countries across the continent.
The other beneficiaries are Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
Phiri said the funds will also help procure essential medical supplies, including testing kits and to train health workers.
Health systems
The funds will be used to bolster health systems and disease surveillance, enhance infection prevention and control, and improve regional coordination by the East African Community and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to contain cross-border transmissions.
World Health Organisation will be the implementing agency for the emergency response activities in the EAC and IGAD member states, and the Comoros, while the Regional Economic Communities will be directly responsible for executing the cross-border interventions.