DAKAR, September 25, 2014 - The World Bank has approved financing to the Government of Guinea–Bissau for a health contingency plan that would help prevent the spread of the Ebola virus to the country. Although it has no recorded cases of Ebola to date, the new funding of US$750,000 responds to an urgent request from the government for financing of an Ebola action plan prepared by the Ministry of Public Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to Philippe Auffret, World Bank Task Team Leader of the project, “this support is to finance an information campaign through the Government’s existing community-driven Project and finance health measures including training of health staff on Ebola.”
“Despite having recently concluded a successful election, Guinea Bissau remains a fragile country that is in the process of rebuilding. An Ebola epidemic would seriously jeopardize an already weakened health system and an economy that is still on the mend,” said Ms. Vera Songwe, World Bank Country Director for Guinea-Bissau.
Vera Songwe and Philippe Auffret highlighted the collaboration between the World Bank and the WHO to provide coordinated support to Guinea-Bissau to meet the objectives of this special new financing.
