Fighting coronavirus: ADB approves further $2m grant for Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a further $2 million grant to support Pakistan’s efforts to combat coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.

According to the statement issued by the ADB here on Monday the grant, financed from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund, will help fund the immediate purchase of emergency medical supplies, personal protective equipment, diagnostic and laboratory supplies, and other equipment. It supplements an initial $500,000 approved by ADB on March 20, which is already being deployed to support Pakistan’s procurement of emergency supplies through UNICEF. Taken together, this $2.5 million in approved funding represents ADB’s immediate response for Pakistan, with further support to follow.

“ADB recognises extraordinary burden of this pandemic on Pakistan and is committed to supporting Pakistan in the fight to control COVID-19,” said ADB Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang. “This grant will help strengthen COVID-19 detection, improve infection prevention and control, and boost Pakistan’s capacity to respond to the pandemic.”

ADB’s assistance echoes the World Health Organisation’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19 and Pakistan’s National Action Plan for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which includes preventive measures, containment efforts, and treatment of infected persons. Given the urgency of the required support, ADB will use the most flexible and expeditious approaches to facilitate procurement of the required medical supplies and equipment.

On March 18, ADB announced an initial package of approximately $6.5 billion to address the immediate needs of its developing member countries as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. ADB stands ready to provide further financial assistance and policy advice down the road whenever the situation warrants. Visit ADB’s website to learn more about our ongoing response.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members — 49 from the region.