The Additional Financing for the COVID-19 Emergency Response Project will retroactively finance the procurement of approximately 8 million vaccine doses.
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 16, 2022 – The World Bank approved today additional financing of US$100 million for the El Salvador COVID-19 Emergency Response Project to retroactively finance the procurement of approximately 8 million vaccine doses and supplies, as well as activities for the vaccination of 44.8 percent of the country’s population. The financial resources will also support efforts and investments to mitigate the threat posed by COVID-19 and strengthen the public health national system in El Salvador.
“The Government of El Salvador implemented strategies and invested to safeguard the lives of all Salvadorans in the face of the worst health crisis in decades. This new support from the World Bank will help continue the National Vaccination Plan, which has already administered more than 10.5 million doses, and other deployment and communications efforts to vaccinate the entire eligible population” said Francisco Alabí, Minister of Health of El Salvador.
The US$100 million Second Additional Financing for the COVID-19 Emergency Response Project for El Salvador will also fund the purchase of auxiliary supplies for vaccination, including personal protective equipment (PPE), medicines, and testing and medical supplies; transportation services for vaccine deployment; and equipment and supplies for vaccination centers. The resources will also finance training and communications activities, including call-center services, for vaccine deployment.
This Second Additional Financing expands the US$20 million COVID-19 Emergency Response Project for El Salvador, approved in April 2020, which has supported activities for immediate COVID-19 response, including the procurement of medicines, medical supplies and equipment, rehabilitation works, PPE and oxygenators. An Additional Financing of US$50 million for the Project was approved in April 2021 and has supported, among others, the acquisition of 1.2 million doses of vaccines, enabling the vaccination of 11 percent of the population.
The Government of El Salvador set a target of fully vaccinating 5.9 million people (approximately 90 percent of the population), including children above 6 years of age. Booster shots have also been authorized and administered to eligible populations. The Government undertook investments to set up 362 vaccinations centers, including the construction of a vaccination mega-center and remodeling health care centers. Investments included strengthening its cold-chain capacity (ultra-cold refrigerators, refrigerated trucks, etc.), deploying a door-to-door vaccination strategy, training health personnel nationwide, and enabling information technology systems for vaccine registration, scheduling, monitoring and analysis.
“El Salvador acted decisively when the COVID-19 pandemic hit to implement containment measures and moved swiftly to acquire and secure vaccines. To date, the Government’s comprehensive plan has fully vaccinated two thirds of the population. This additional financing will help finance these efforts and many of the public investments made to safeguard the health and lives of all Salvadorans,” said Oscar Avalle, World Bank Country Manager in El Salvador.
The US$100 million loan for the Second Additional Financing for the COVID-19 Emergency Response Project for El Salvador has a final maturity of 18 years, including a grace period of 5 years.
World Bank Group Response to COVID-19
From April 2020 to March 2022, the World Bank Group committed over $200 billion to public and private sector clients to fight the health, economic, and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fastest and largest crisis response in its history. The financing is helping developing countries strengthen pandemic preparedness, protect the poor and jobs, and jump start a climate-friendly recovery. The Bank is also supporting over 70 low- and middle-income countries, more than half of which are in Africa, with the purchase and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines.
Learn more about the World Bank’s work in Latin America and the Caribbean:
Learn more about the World Bank in El Salvador
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