Multinational - Strengthening West Africa’s Public Health Systems Response to the Ebola Crisis (SWAPHS)

The proposed project aims to contribute to ongoing efforts to reduce morbidity, mortality and to break the chain of transmission of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) by strengthening sub-regional public health systems. The EVD, formerly known as Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever (EHF) is a severe, often fatal illness in humans with a case fatality rate of up to 90%. This is a threat to the development and national security of the West Africa region. The affected countries lack the requisite state resources and capacity to adequately manage this outbreak compounded by institutional weaknesses and weak governance systems. In the short term, the Bank’s assistance will support the EVD Outbreak Response Plan of West Africa (July to December 2014). The main objectives of this plan are to: i) Stop transmission of EVD in the affected countries through scaling up effective evidence-based outbreak control measures and ii) Prevent the spread of EVD to atrisk neighbouring countries by strengthening epidemic preparedness and response measures. In the long term (2015-2017) the assistance will contribute to overall strengthening of public health systems in West African countries to facilitate early detection and response to potential threats arising from epidemic and pandemic prone diseases. This project will thus strengthen regional public health capacity to implement appropriate interventions to control the EVD outbreak in the sub region. The total cost net of taxes and duties, is estimated at UA 40 million.