According to bank documents, the project development objective is to support the Government of South Africa to purchase COVID-19 vaccines to reach the target population.

The proposed Project is part of the Global COVID-19 MPA (SPRP) and will support South Africa to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed project is designed around two components as described below, for now, but the scope and financing size will be agreed with the government after the technical, fiduciary and environmental and social management reviews are completed during preparation.

Component 1. Emergency COVID-19 Response aims to support the GoSA to procure vaccines against the COVID19 to vaccinate up to 70 percent of population and thus prevent the spread of COVID-19 and deaths. Specifically, the project will finance vaccine purchase. The GoSA, with support from other partners, will finance deployment of the vaccines including risk communication and community mobilization as part of the GoSA’s vaccination program. Since the GoSA has already signed contracts with COVAX, J&J and Pfizer to procure vaccines and some are already deployed, the proposed project will retrospectively finance vaccine purchase to allow the government to continue financing priority COVID-19 response activities and the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccines procured by the project. Given the recent emergence of COVID-19 and its variants, there is no conclusive data available on the duration of immunity that vaccines will provide. Thus, the proposed project will allow for re-vaccination efforts (e.g., additional dose or booster) as warranted by peer-reviewed scientific knowledge as it becomes available during the project life.

Component 2. Project Management and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) aims to ensure adequate project management, and M&E. Existing coordination structures operating in the NDoH would be entrusted with coordination and monitoring of project activities, as well as fiduciary and environmental and social management. Support for the strengthening of public structures may be provided, including financial management, procurement, and environmental and social risk management. Component 2 may also support M&E of overall vaccination and related surveillance (e.g., adverse events following immunization) program, as well as project reporting.

World Bank:
Yi-Kyoung Lee, Thulani Clement Matsebula, Toni Lee Kuguru
Senior Health Specialist

Borrower:
Republic of South Africa
Dondo Mogajane
Director General
Dondo.Mogajane@treasury.gov.za

Implementing Agency:
National Department of Health
Dr. Nicholas Crisp
Deputy Director General of National Health Insurance
Nicholas.Crisp@health.gov.za 

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