World Bank grants Nigeria $82m aid to boost public health

The World Bank Tuesday announced it had given Nigeria medical support in the sum of $82 million, its own bit of global institutions’ assistance to nations in need of fund to combat COVID-19.

“In Nigeria, the World Bank has already made $82m available for immediate support in strengthening the public health response through the Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement Project,” a statement from the institution says.

Six days ago, it launched the first phase of its emergency health support with disbursement of $1.9 billion to 25 developing countries, from which Nigeria was excluded.

The Washington-based lender has a monumental ambition of deploying $160 billion for medical aid related purposes over the next 15 months to its client countries.

It said “the World Bank Group is moving quickly to provide fast and flexible support to Nigeria and other African countries in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing direct and long-term financial support over the next 15 months.”

According to the multilateral organisation, it has a request to provide multidimensional support to Nigeria for the next half year to boost the country’s capacity for curbing the current health emergency.

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The campaign targeting the protection of livelihoods and stimulating the local economy for 18 to 24 months, the World Bank observed, would be crucial to curtailing the human and economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

In a bid to protect the livelihoods of Nigeria’s poor population and vulnerable homes as well as boost micro, small and medium businesses, the World Bank and its partners are engaging state governments and federal authorities.

Already, the organisation’s Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement project has given a $10.6 million aid to the Nigeria Centre for Disease and Control towards the seamless running of the emergency operation centres of Nigerian states.

Beyond aiding eight states in the construction, rehabilitation and the equipping of treatment centres, the World Bank initiative is equally providing medical supplies in the form of test kits, personal protective equipment for frontline health workers as well as drugs.

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