The World Bank stands committed to the people of South Asia as the region reels back from COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, our support to South Asia has reached $20 billion, of which $10.8 billion directly supported our COVID-19 emergency response. In the early stages, we ensured the poorest and most vulnerable were protected from the worst impacts of the pandemic. Going forward our priority is to pave the way for a green, resilient, and inclusive recovery.
The World Bank has made over $1 billion available to five South Asian countries for vaccine purchase and deployment. We also procured and delivered oxygen concentrators, therapy units, and oxygen generation plants to help ease the burden of devastating new waves of COVID-19 that hit the region this year. And around 807 million vulnerable people directly benefited from $2.73 billion of funding that supported cash transfers across South Asia.
WORLD BANK SUPPORT TO VACCINES
The World Bank has made available more than $1 billion to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to support vaccine purchase and deployment. 1.6 million vaccine doses have already been delivered, and 44 million more will be delivered by March 2022.
This funding is helping governments purchase and deploy safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and strengthen national programs to ensure quick, broad, and fair access to health services and vaccinations. In addition to financing, the Bank is providing technical assistance and knowledge-sharing workshops for countries in South Asia on different aspects of designing and deploying fair and equitable vaccine strategies.
Learn more about our support to vaccines in South Asia:
- Nepal to Get 4 Million Doses of Moderna Vaccines through COVAX
- Sri Lanka Gets First Batch of World Bank-financed COVID-19 Vaccines
- World Bank Redeploys $153 Million to Support Pakistan’s COVID-19 Vaccine Drive
- Sri Lanka, World Bank sign agreement for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment
- New Grants to Spur Afghanistan COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
- Bangladesh: $500 Million World Bank Financing for COVID-19 Vaccination for 54 Million People
- Nepal Receives $75 million for COVID-19 Vaccines and Stronger Response to Pandemic
- WATCH Expert Panel: Vaccinating South Asia
- WATCH World Bank Knowledge Exchange Series: South Asia Vaccinates
BLOGS & FEATURE STORIES
Regional
- Regional collaboration can help South Asian nations rebuild and strengthen tourism industry, by Hartwig Schafer
- Protecting South Asia’s poor and vulnerable against COVID-19, by Lynne Sherbrune-Benz, Stefano Paternostro, and Zaineb Majoka
- Standing with the people of South Asia in the fight against COVID-19, by Hartwig Schafer
- Is air pollution aggravating COVID-19 in South Asia?, by Muthukumara Mani and Takahiro Yamada
- COVID-19: a time to rebuild a stronger, greener South Asia, by John Roome
- A green economic recovery for South Asia, by Urvashi Narain and Hasita Bhammar
- Ensuring food security and nutrition in South Asia during COVID-19, by Cecile Fruman and Yinan Zhang
- The economic impact of COVID-19 on South Asia: 3 Visuals, by Hans Timmer, Valerie Mercer-Blackman, Robert C M Beyer
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus) will hit South Asia hard. We are fighting back, by Hartwig Schafer
- South Asia shows new spirit of collaboration to fight COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, by Cecile Fruman and Mandakini Kaul
Afghanistan
- Strengthening Afghanistan's fight against COVID-19, by Henry Kerali
- International aid is vital for Afghanistan’s COVID-19 recovery, by Tobias Haque
- Awareness Campaigns Help Prevent Against COVID-19 in Afghanistan
- In Afghanistan, Health Workers Fight Misinformation to Curb COVID-19
Bangladesh
- COVID-19 boosts digitization of higher education in Bangladesh
- A case for building a stronger health care system in Bangladesh, by Md Rafi Hossain and Shakil Ahmed
- Preparing for the Unpredictable - Lessons for the COVID-19 Response from Bangladesh
- Bangladesh’s unlikely inventor creates face shields to tackle coronavirus, by Mokhlesur Rahman, Shazia Omar Ahmed, Mustahsin-ul-Aziz
- How decline in demand for apparel affects poor women in Bangladesh, by Gladys Lopez-Acevedo, Deeksha Kokas, Raymond Robertson, Diego Cardozo Medeiros
India
- In India, air quality has been improving despite the COVID-19 lockdown
- In India’s Villages Women SHG members provide vital banking services during the COVID-19 crisis
- Rethinking India’s public transport after the COVID-19 lockdown is over, by Gerald Ollivier and Nupur Gupta
- India: The Dual Battle Against Undernutrition and COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
- In India, women’s self-help groups combat the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic
Maldives
- Supporting Vulnerable Workers in Maldives Amid the COVID-19 Crisis
- Amid COVID-19, Maldives keeps children learning through remote education, by Shobhana Sosale, Harsha Aturupane, and Cristian Aedo
- Maldives Development Update: Unprecedented Crisis Presents ‘Green Growth’ Opportunities
- Equipping Health Care Workers in Maldives to Fight COVID-19
Nepal
- In Nepal, a helpline serves as a lifeline for survivors during COVID-19 lockdown, by Jaya Sharma
- Nepal steps up remote learning during COVID-19
Pakistan
- Women and girls must be at the center of Pakistan’s COVID-19 recovery, by Uzma Quresh
- Immediate relief for Pakistan’s pandemic-stricken poor, by Amjad Zafar Khan
- Coming together like never before to fight COVID-19 in Pakistan, by Dr. Aliya Kashif, Shaza Khan
- COVID-19 delays activities of Pakistan's domestic tourism industry, by Kiran Afzal
Last Updated: Oct 06, 2021
