The World Bank and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire signed today a $35 million credit agreement from the International Development Association (IDA)* to scale up efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic (Coronavirus) in the country.

This credit supplements $40 million in financing already provided under the Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC) of the Strategic Purchasing and Alignment of Resources and Knowledge in Health Project, bringing the total financing allocated by the World Bank to Côte d’Ivoire’s COVID-19 emergency measures to $75 million.

The Covid-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Project aims to strengthen prevention and the public health system by providing personal protective equipment to health care workers as well as adequate equipment to intensive care units and health facilities. This support will also help improve the water supply, hygiene, and sanitation at health facilities, and will finance training for health care workers, early detection of new cases, and effective patient care.

“In addition to providing emergency health support funding, this project will enable the authorities to use the various safety net mechanisms to provide financial assistance to poor households that have been affected or made vulnerable by Covid-19,” noted Coralie Gevers, World Bank Country Director for Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, and Guinea.

COVID-19: World Bank Group Response

The World Bank Group, one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, is taking broad, fast action to help developing countries strengthen their pandemic response. We are increasing disease surveillance, improving public health interventions, and helping the private sector continue to operate and sustain jobs. Over the next 15 months, the World Bank Group will be deploying up to $160 billion in financial support to help countries protect the poor and vulnerable, support businesses, and bolster economic recovery, including $50 billion of new IDA resources in grants or on highly concessional terms.

*The International Development Association (IDA) is the World Bank’s fund for the poorest. Established in 1960, it provides grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 76 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa.