MANILA, July 30 (NNN-PNA) – Asian Development Bank (ADB), today said, it has approved a 20-million-U.S. dollar grant, to help the government of Samoa respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Manila-based bank said, the grant will help fund measures to upgrade Samoa’s health sector and support the government’s economic stimulus programme.
“As Samoa works to keep the disease from entering the country, ADB’s support will help to strengthen the health sector, by funding the training of workers, upgrading facilities, and bolstering medical supplies,” ADB President, Masatsugu Asakawa, said in a statement.
He added that “ADB’s assistance will also help support the livelihood of the many people in Samoa, affected by the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.”
ADB said, its Health Expenditure and Livelihood Support Programme will support health sector improvements in Samoa, including upgrading isolation rooms in hospitals, strengthening quarantine areas, and procuring medical supplies. It will also help train front-line workers to prevent infections.
The programme will also support measures to safeguard the purchasing power of Samoans, such as unemployment benefits, cash transfers, and higher pensions for the elderly.
ADB said, the grant is funded through the COVID-19 pandemic response option (CPRO), under ADB’s Counter-cyclical Support Facility. CPRO was established as part of ADB’s 20-billion-U.S. dollar expanded assistance for developing members, to respond to COVID-19, announced on Apr 13.
This is ADB’s second grant to Samoa to combat the impacts of COVID-19, following a grant of 2.9 million U.S. dollars in Apr.
