This archive report was first published on 29 June 2021.
On June 29, 2021, the World Bank announced an additional $130 million in financing to Kenya to support the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.
The funding, which is part of a broader effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Kenya, will be used to procure more vaccines through the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) initiative and the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facilities.
According to World Bank Country Director to Kenya, Keith Hansen, the additional financing will facilitate affordable and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for Kenyans, particularly at a critical time when the Government of Kenya is making concerted efforts to contain the rising cases of COVID-19 infections.
The loan will also support the deployment of vaccines by boosting Kenya's cold chain storage capacity, including establishing 25 county vaccine stores, strengthening the capacity of 36 sub-county stores, and equipping 1,177 health facilities with vaccine storage equipment.
Furthermore, the funding will be used to train health workers, conduct vaccine surveillance, and implement advocacy and communications activities to encourage COVID-19 vaccine uptake.
