The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $2.5 million grant to support Georgia’s ongoing response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The COVID-19 Emergency Response Project grant, financed from ADB’s Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) with a contribution by the Government of Japan, will be used to provide lifesaving services for communities affected by the pandemic. These include increasing laboratory and diagnostic testing capacity and providing personal protective equipment and general medical equipment required for Georgia’s COVID-19 response.
“Georgia’s health system has been under extraordinary pressure due to the accelerated spread of COVID-19 in the past months,” said ADB’s Country Director for Georgia Shane Rosenthal. “This grant will help to strengthen Georgia’s immediate response, and is part of ADB’s ongoing assistance to support Georgia’s health system, social protection and the livelihood of its communities.”
The grant complements ADB’s comprehensive package of support to help Georgia manage the fallout from COVID-19. In May, ADB approved a $100 million loan to help contain the spread of the disease, mitigate the impact on businesses, and protect the livelihoods of the most vulnerable, including women and children. In October, the bank approved a $200 million loan to address key fragilities in the country’s public financial management and social protection systems.
In August, ADB also provided grant support to Georgia to procure PCR equipment, funded under the regional technical assistance project. The new equipment will increase Georgia’s PCR testing capacity and help the authorities to better trace and contain the spread of the virus.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.
