Honduras COVID-19 Emergency Response Project

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This project supports the COVID-19 response plan for Honduras, under the Fast Track COVID-19 Facility. The Project components are aligned with the objectives of the COVID-19 SPRP and will support the Government’s capacity to detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19. The specific activities financed by the Project fit into the overall Government strategy to support the identification, isolation, and provision of care for patients with COVID-19 to minimize disease spread, morbidity and mortality. It is anticipated that the project will be implemented with support from UN agencies and other partners. Component 1 on Emergency COVID-19 response supports epidemiological surveillance, case management, and diagnostic capacity as well as strengthens critical aspects of health delivery to cope with increased demand of services, through the provision of medical supplies and equipment, particularly for intensive care units. It will also support infection prevention and control in public health facilities, including laboratories, isolation units, and health sanitary offices. Component 2 supports the general implementation of the Project and Monitoring and evaluation functions. The Project will be implemented through a Project Implementation Unit in INVEST-H with technical support from the Ministry of Health (SESAL). INVEST-H and SESAL will enter into an Inter-institutional Cooperation Agreement to establish responsibilities and processes required to ensure a timely project implementation and compliance with World Bank fiduciary and safeguards policies. Overall governance challenges continue to constrain the Government’s capacity to lead and implement all aspects of the emergency response. There is a multiplicity of actors (domestic entities and bilateral as well as international agencies) that would be involved in COVID-19 response efforts, and coordination across these actors is difficult. The Government, with the support of partners such as IDB, is coordinating the different supports to maximize complementarity and minimize potential overlaps.