Praia, Jul 12 (Inforpress) – The World Bank (WB) approved on Friday an additional funding of 10 million dollars to allow Cabo Verde “safe, accessible and equitable” access to COVID-19 vaccines and ensure effective vaccination in the archipelago.
According to the press release sent to Inforpress, Cabo Verde was the first country in Africa to benefit from WB support for the distribution of vaccines to combat the pandemic, adding that the COVID-19 Emergency Response Project will help the archipelago further strengthen the vaccination system and national public health preparedness systems.
This new budget support, according to the note, will help the Government achieve its national vaccination target of 70% of the population by December 2021 by supporting the acquisition and distribution of additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines to around 130.000 people.
Quoted in the document, the Resident Representative of the World Bank, Eneida Fernandes, acknowledged that despite the Government’s “strong commitment”, the availability of vaccines has been a “huge embarrassment”, considering, however, that vaccination in Cabo Verde is crucial for the recovery of tourism and, consequently, for the country economic recovery, severely affected by the pandemic with a GDP contraction of 14.8% in 2020.
CM / CP / HVF
Inforpress
