World Bank Approves $50.7 Million for Affordable and Equitable COVID-19 Vaccine Access in Mongolia | WPN World People News

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved on February 11, additional financing in the amount of $50.7 million for the Mongolia COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Project to enable affordable and equitable access to vaccines in the country.

The funding has been approved at a crucial juncture in the government’s response to COVID-19. Mongolia has taken strong measures to prevent and contain the COVID-19 outbreak since the beginning of 2020. Despite the relatively low number of caseㄇs in Mongolia, further community spread risks remain high. To reduce this risk, further preventive measures, supporting health system improvements, and providing access to COVID-19 vaccines are critical.

To support the Mongolian government’s strategy to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its population, the additional financing will help pay for purchase and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines. Given the urgent need to expand immunization capacity, it will support comprehensive measures for effective vaccine delivery, such as cold chain upgrade, logistics, national and local roll-out plans, public information campaigns, and staff training.

“Access to safe and effective vaccines will be critical to protecting lives and accelerating economic and social recovery in Mongolia,” said Andrei Mikhnev, World Bank Country Manager for Mongolia on February 11. “This additional financing approved today will enable affordable and equitable access to vaccines and play a critical role in further strengthening the health system in Mongolia.”

The World Bank is part of multilateral efforts such as ACT-A and COVAX and is cooperating closely with WHO and UNICEF who continue to play an integral role in supporting vaccine deployment and building capacity of health care workers.

The Mongolia COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Project, approved in April 2020, is helping strengthen health system preparedness and diagnostic capacity through procurement of essential medical equipment and personal protective equipment for three tertiary hospitals as well as hospitals of 21 provinces and 9 districts of Ulaanbaatar city.

World Bank Group Response to COVID-19

The World Bank, one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, is taking broad, fast action to help developing countries respond to the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19. This includes $12 billion to help low- and middle-income countries purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments, and strengthen vaccination systems. The financing builds on the broader World Bank Group COVID-19 response, which is helping more than 100 countries strengthen health systems, support the poorest households, and create supportive conditions to maintain livelihoods and jobs for those hit hardest.

Source: World Bank