On July 30, 2020 in Hanoi, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the World Bank (WB) held a signing ceremony of the US$6.2 million Grant Agreement for the Project "Emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam", funded by the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) through the WB. Under the authorization of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, SBV Deputy Governor Nguyen Thi Hong signed the Agreement together with Mrs. Stephanie Stallmeister - Acting Country Director for the World Bank in Vietnam.
Under the authorization of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, SBV Deputy Governor Nguyen Thi Hong signed the Agreement together with Mrs. Stephanie Stallmeister - Acting Country Director for the World Bank in Vietnam.
Speaking at the ceremony, SBV Deputy Governor Nguyen Thi Hong stated that in the recent time, along with the outbreaks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Party, the State and the Government of Vietnam have made drastic and timely efforts and actions in order to cope with the complicated developments of the pandemic right from the first days. Until now, Vietnam has been recognized by the international community as one of the most successful countries in containing the spread of the disease with zero death and most of the cases have recovered.
SBV Deputy Governor Nguyen Thi Hong speaks at the ceremony
However, with the complicated developments of the disease in the world, especially in recent days when the disease has returned to Vietnam, Deputy Governor Nguyen Thi Hong affirmed that this assistance from the WB and the PEF is extremely meaningful and necessary, thereby helping Vietnam strengthen its capacity to monitor, detect, respond to and prevent risks caused by COVID-19 in the new situation. The grant also demonstrates the efforts and priorities of the WB and the international organizations for Vietnam in terms of being an IDA recipient country in an emergency response to this pandemic.
Recognizing the importance and significance of the support from the WB and the PEF, the SBV has been working closely with the Ministry of Health and other relevant ministries under the close guidance of the Government to quickly complete the procedures for receiving the grant donation in the shortest possible time. The SBV Deputy Governor shared that in only about 2 months, after the WB announced the technical assistance, the Vietnamese side has completed all the approval procedures for receiving the grant as required so that the signing ceremony could be organised now. In addition, the SBV Deputy Governor also spoke highly of the WB and the PEF for their preferential policies for the Project such as simplified procedures, quick payments and disbursement, bidding under emergency mechanisms...
Mrs. Stefanie Stallmeister, Acting Country Director for the WB in Vietnam, speaks at the ceremony
“The COVID-19 situation in Vietnam is evolving quickly,” said Stefanie Stallmeister, Acting Country Director for the WB in Vietnam. “This emergency operation will not only support the government to quickly monitor and respond to COVID-19, but also contribute to building a resilient health system for future health emergencies.”
The project will strengthen the capacity of the laboratory systems at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) and other lab systems nationwide by helping to improve the ability to evaluate community immunity to COVID-19. The grant will also fund the provision of equipment to improve the capacity of the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals (POLYVAC) for research and development of new vaccine and quick diagnostic tests.
The project is expected to support 200 laboratories involved in COVID-19 surveillance and testing in hospitals and Provincial Centers for Disease Control nationwide. Support to NIHE and POLYVAC, Vietnam’s leading public health and vaccine research and production institutions, will directly contribute to improve the country’s capacities to detect and respond to COVID-19. The project is financed by the PEF through its insurance window allocation to Vietnam.
On behalf of the Ministry of Health - the governing body of NIHE and POLYVAC, the units receiving this emergency aid to respond to COVID-19 - Vice Minister Nguyen Truong Son emphasized that at the beginning of the epidemic, the WB already provided some funding to NIHE and the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases to implement training activities aiming at strengthening the testing, diagnosis, treatment and preventive capacities for the health system in Vietnam.” And with the WB's support this time to enhance the capacities of monitoring and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vice Minister Nguyen Truong Son believed that Vietnam's capacities will be improved and become fully active in responding to the pandemic.
Vice Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son speaks at the ceremony
Also at the ceremony, the Vice Minister of Health thanked the Government, the State Bank of Vietnam, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, as well as other ministries and central agencies for having facilitated the Ministry of Health to finalise the procedures in a very short time. This is an emergency project with a short implementation duration of 6 months; therefore, the Ministry of Health is looking forward to continuing to receive the support from the ministries, agencies for smooth, timely and effective implementation of the project.
Delegates attends the ceremony
VA