The European Investment Bank (EIB) will work more closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat the new coronavirus. By joining forces, the two agencies want to increase their financial resources to secure the delivery of basic medical care needs in poorer countries. Initially, aid is aimed at strengthening health care in ten unnamed African countries.
According to WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, working with the EU bank should ensure that the world’s most vulnerable communities are better protected against the pandemic.
First of all, the financial assistance from the EIB should better regulate the supply of relatively simple medical equipment such as protective equipment and tests to poorer countries.
Those goods will now be purchased centrally.
The EIB, which issues long-term loans on behalf of the European Union, announced its intention to support the fight against corona in Africa by € 1.4 billion.
It is not yet clear how much of that money will go to cooperation with the WHO.
In the longer term, the WHO and EIB also want to ensure that poorer countries can better prepare for pandemics. Investments in sanitation and the training of health personnel must ensure this.
