Burkina Faso - COVID-19 Support Programme in G5 Sahel Countries - Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad (PARC COVID-19 - G5 Sahel)

The proposed intervention concerns the Burkina Faso component of the COVID-19 Crisis Response Programme in the G5 Sahel Countries (PARC COVID-19 – G5 SAHEL). This is a loan and award a grant to the G5 Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad) of UA 118.9 million and UA 89.6 million respectively from the COVID-19 Rapid Response Facility. It will be implemented over 12 months from July 2020. The Programme was appraised in April 2020 following requests to the Bank by the countries. As of 21 April 2020, the epidemiological situation in the country shows that 600 people had tested positive in the country comprising 232 women and 368 men. Nine (9) of the country’s thirteen (13) regions are affected by the epidemic. Since the Ebola epidemic, 44 high flow points of entry have been identified in Burkina Faso. These points of entry are characterised by a lack of adapted infrastructure and equipment (thermal imaging cameras, ThermoFlash), insufficient, poorly skilled and demotivated human resources, especially in the specific context of COVID-19. The lockdown measures adopted by the authorities to contain the spread of the pandemic have had an immediate effect on women’s activities and income, increasing their vulnerability. Moreover, the lack of health centres and access to water, malnutrition and poverty could lower their COVID-19 immune response. This Programme complements the other budget support operations, particularly the Multinational Coronavirus Pandemic Control Support Project for G5 member countries approved on 9 June 2020, aimed at providing the region with adequate operational capacities to combat the pandemic. More specifically, the programme will contribute to the financing of response plans through the budget support it will provide. It will also support measures aimed at improving the financial management of the response plans and mitigating the health, social and economic-related impacts.