Second Additional Financing for Malawi COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project

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The proposed emergency operation includes three components to strengthen the MOH’s capacity to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and potential future pandemics by enhancing the capacity to prevent further transmission, detecting cases at early stages, and providing appropriate and timely care for those affected by the current COVID-10 outbreak. The scope and the components of this project are fully aligned with the COVID-19 Fast Track Facility. This Project has triggered paragraph 12 of the Investment Project Financing Bank Policy to enable processing and delivery on an emergency basis. The Project will support detection, surveillance, response and system strengthening activities prioritized in the Malawi COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan. It will address critical activities and fill financing gaps that have been identified and are not financed by other partners (e.g. risk communication). The Project will comprise three components, including:Component 1: Emergency COVID-19 ResponseThis component would provide immediate support to Malawi to prevent COVID-19 from arriving or limiting local transmission through surveillance and containment strategies. It would support enhancement of disease detection capacities through provision of technical expertise, laboratory equipment and systems to ensure prompt case finding and contact tracing, consistent with WHO guidelines; strengthening of case management capabilities; and provision of care for respiratory illnesses including essential medical supplies, oxygen therapy and assisted ventilation. Component 2: Supporting National and Sub-national, Prevention and Preparedness This component will support strengthening the capacity of the public health system for preparedness and respond to COVID-19 pandemic and to future pandemics and other threats to health security. The financing of this component will target existing institutions such as the EOC within the PHIM as well as new institutions through support for growth of health worker cadres with capacity to respond to EIDs. Component 3: Implementation Management and Monitoring and EvaluationProject Management and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). The existing Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the ongoing Southern African Tuberculosis and Health System Strengthening Project (SATHSSP) will lead coordination of Project activities, as well as fiduciary tasks of procurement and financial management, M&E and environmental and social safeguards. If needed, the PIU will be strengthened by the appointment of additional staff/consultants responsible for specific responsibilities under the Project. To this end, this component will support costs associated with Project management and coordination, monitoring and evaluation, operational reviews to assess implementation progress and logistical support. The component will also support the grievance redress mechanism, including a WhatsApp number to provide feedback and register complaints and other activities in the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan.Component 4: Contingent Emergency Response This will allow for rapid reallocation of project proceeds in the event of a future natural or man-made disaster or crisis that has caused or is likely to imminently cause a major adverse economic and/or social impact during the life of the project. This component will have no funding allocation initially. In the event of a future emergency, this component would allow the Government to request the World Bank to recategorize and reallocate financing from other project components to cover emergency response and recovery costs, if approved by the World Bank.