The World Bank said 4.73 million doses out of 13 million doses of vaccine procured by the country under the Philippines $500 million COVID-19 Emergency Response Project Additional Financing have arrived in the country to date.
The Washington-based agency said in a statement the remaining doses of the World Bank-funded vaccines are expected to arrive in the country by December.
“The World Bank is pleased to contribute to the Philippines’ national COVID-19 vaccination effort so that more Filipinos are protected against COVID-19, can resume normal lives, and the country can rebuild the economy faster, restore jobs and incomes and ensure its resilient recovery,” said Ndiame Diop, World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.
Approved on March 11, 2021, the additional financing was designed to support the Philippine government’s program to purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, strengthen the country’s health systems and overcome the impact of the pandemic especially on the poor and the most vulnerable.
In addition to the purchase of vaccines, the World Bank said the additional financing also supports the Philippines’ efforts to implement public health measures including increasing testing and improving isolation capacity.
This financing builds upon the initial ongoing Philippines COVID-19 Emergency Response Project approved in April 2020.
Implemented by the Department of Health, the project is providing funding to purchase laboratory equipment and test kits, and ambulances as well as medical equipment and supplies such as mechanical ventilators, portable x-ray machines, and infusion pumps. It has also been used to refurbish isolation rooms and quarantine facilities.
