In order to strengthen efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan signed a $2 million grant agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The grant financed from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund will help provide life-saving medical supplies, diagnostic and laboratory facilities, and other critical equipment for communities affected by the pandemic. The grant will also be used to build pliability and increase the volume of front-line health workers in the fight against coronavirus pandemic.
Read more: Pakistan receives $1.5 billion in loans to fight COVID-19
This helpful agreement of a $2 million grant was signed by Economic Affairs Division Secretary Noor Ahmed and ADB Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang. At the same time, the ADB country director and Representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund in Pakistan, Aida Girma, signed the administrative agreement, which will enable Unicef to procure the supplies and equipment using the grant.
The government is planning to provide these facilities:
- Personal protection and waste management kit (biosafety) for the health workers who are constantly treating coronavirus patients on the front line.
- Air cleansing respirator
- Laboratory and general medical goods
- Testing kits and diagnostic components
The country director for the ADB Xiaohong Yang, reaffirmed the Bank’s backing for Pakistan and its development vision and people-centric growth rules, particularly in the era of coronavirus pandemic where there are only uncertainties about the post-COVID-19 situation.
The Asian Development Bank also recapped the organizations robust assurance to further consolidation and mounting its long-term standing partnership with Pakistan.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs appreciated the ADB’s for playing a positive role towards supporting the Pakistani’s target efforts to alleviate the socio-economic impression of COVID-19 by offering an Emergency Assistance Loan of $300 million in the first stage and a grant of $2 million for building the volume and pliability of the health industry in the seconded phase of the coronavirus pandemic.
