World Bank approves $100 Million Loan to Help the Philippines fight COVID-19

The World Bank has approved the Philippines’ loan of One Hundred Million Dollars ($100,000,000.00) which will be funding the country’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Project.

Through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Project, the Philippines will work on strengthening our public health preparedness and address urgent needs in the healthcare sector.

The World Bank helping Developing Countries Address the COVID-19 Crisis

Approving the Philippines’ loan is one of the steps being taken by the World Bank to lend a hand to developing countries in facing the pandemic.

The World Bank Group aims to help developing countries accomplish the following:

• strengthen their pandemic response
• improve public health policies
• increase disease surveillance
• ensure continuous operation of the private sector
• sustain jobs

PH COVID-19 Emergency Response Project

This project will be headed by the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure a systematic delivery of critical services that can meet even an increasing demand in the months to come.

According to Achim Fock, World Bank Acting Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand, strengthening the country’s capacity to respond to COVID-19 will save lives.

“The government has taken quick and decisive action in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the World Bank is proud to support its efforts. Right now, no other investment offers greater return,” Fock added.

Focus of Project

The Philippines’ COVID-19 Emergency Response Project will focus on the following:

• providing personal protective equipment (PPE)
• purchasing medical supplies
  • • Intensive Care Unit (ICU) equipment and devices
      • mechanical ventilators, cardiac monitors, portable Xray machines
• buying laboratory equipment and test kits

1. Standard Design for Hospital Isolation and  Treatment Centers 

Under the project, DOH will also create guidelines for the standard design to be followed for hospital isolation and treatment centers for patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI).

These guidelines will be used by medical institutions in the country to ensure the delivery of quality COVID-19 healthcare services.

2. Expansion of PH’s Laboratory Capacity

The emergency response project will also support the expansion of the Philippines’ laboratory capacity to improve the country’s preparedness against emerging infectious diseases.

Under the expansion, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the six sub-national and public health laboratories across the country will be modified and improved.

Moreover, the construction of laboratories in priority regions that don’t have such facilities at the moment will also be undertaken through this project.

SOURCE: World Bank Group