Additional Financing to Myanmar COVID-19 Emergency Response Project

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The Additional Financing (AF) from the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) will expand the scope of the parent Project in its effort to support the Government of Myanmar (GOM) in strengthening the COVID-19 response. The AF will focus on and enhance priority actions for COVID-19 response, including: (i) upgrading laboratory capacity –prioritizing in the conflict-affected states with hard to reach areas in line with (PEF) focus; (ii) intensifying risk communication and community engagement in close collaboration with EHPs and CSOs; (iii) supporting coordination and collaboration between MOHS and non-government health actors such as Ethnic Health Providers (EHPs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) at both national and subnational level; (iv) capacity building & training of health workers on COVID-19 response, targeting MOHS & partner organizations including EHPs and CSOs; and (v) operations support and logistics. In addition, to complement the parent project, the AF will finance equipment and supplies to upgrade the emergency departments (triage area) and isolation wards as well as high dependency units in a few township level hospitals in conflict-affected states. The strong focus on vulnerable groups and communities in conflict affected areas under the PEF Grant will be reflected in enhanced collaboration with partners organizations such as CSOs and EHPs, as they are critical health-service providers for people living in these areas where public sector services do not reach. The AF for parent project will include new activities that are not included in the parent project.Project scope and design are aligned with the Parent Project and the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Program (SPRP). The envisaged interventions would address immediate needs in the COVID-19 response, and contribute to foundations of the health systems preparedness for public health emergencies. In addition to the Parent Project, it complements other ongoing IDA-financed health operation in Myanmar, namely the Essential Health Services Access Project (EHSAP) and its Additional Financing (AF) which has recently been approved and focuses on medium to longer term health systems outcomes. In addition to improving readiness of the primary health care facilities to deliver the essential package of health services, the AF for the parent project will help to further cement infection prevention and control (IPC) and health care waste management (HCWM) practices, institutionalize mechanisms that facilitate better coordination and collaboration between government and NGOs, Ethnic Health Providers (EHPs), and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), strengthen risk communication and community engagement, training of health workers on COVID-19 response, and, wherever possible, leverage Information and Communication Technology (ICT).