Support to the National Response to contain the impact of COVID-19

Situational Analysis

As at April 19th, there are now 10 cases with more expected, and one recorded death. Though most cases were seeded from abroad, there is now local transmission, with the 2^nd and 3^rd cases both involved multiple contacts at mosques, family homesteads and medical facilities. More importantly, cases have now been reported in 2 out of the 8 Local Government Areas. There is a clear and immediate need to ramp up preparedness. As of March 23^rd, all flights into the Gambia have been banned and borders closed; any visitors arriving from outside the Gambia were placed on 14-day quarantine. In addition, government has effective March 18^th banned all public gatherings and meetings, schools and public to slow the spread of the virus. Open markets are to be closed and all foreign tour operators have ceased operations.

Lessons learnt from successful implementation of the National Ebola Virus Disease Plan (NEVDP, 2015) relative to health systems strengthening has been utilized for the development of the current COVID-19 Plan, aligned with the national disaster plan. This comprehensive approach will enable the country to maximize and efficiently utilize its resources to ensure the health security of its population. This plan seeks to strengthen the: surveillance system; interventions of frontline health care workers and their retention; diagnostic capacities of national and network systems; risk communication, social mobilisation and community engagement procedures; logistic support; and safety of heath care workers. UNDP’s programmatic offer to Gambia aims at providing effective, multi-sectoral, inclusive support and ensuring recovery responses to COVID-19.

The total budget of the National Response Plan is approx. US$11 million implemented through the Ministry of Health. However, the budget is under-stated since neither health infrastructure cost nor socio-economic impact initiatives are included. Furthermore, other key ministries such as Finance (socio-economic impact and response), Justice (Rule of Law and Prisons), Interior ( Security), National Disaster Management Agency (overall disaster/crisis coordination) Trade, and Office of the President should be part of the response and recovery framework. As a development partners in the Gambia; UNDP joins in efforts to contain and mitigate the local transmission of the COVID-19. UNDP’s response is part of the UN Response Plan aligned to the National COVID-19 Plan. In sync with the corporate offer, UNDP Gambia will respond strategically and urgently to safeguarding progress on the SDGs and delivering on the pledge to leave no one behind. Global UNDP leads the socio-economic and recovery work of the UN COVID Response efforts in close collaboration with national governments.

Thus, UNDP will fill in identified critical and lifesaving gaps in the national response and invest as seed fund to support scale-up of quick-wins. Some gaps identified include: ensuring business continuity through digitization; health awareness in prisons and decongestions initiatives; Hazmat suits for the police; and mobilizing the youth through the YouthConnekt.  Thinking forward to the Recovery phase, a Socio-Economic impact study  and rapid assessment of vulnerable employment due to COVID-19 will short and medium-term impacts of the epidemic and indicate appropriate response including stimulus and social protection packages.  

Areas of intervention

Budget

UNDP will work closely with FAO, UNCDF, and ITC on the recovery aspects and UNICEF and WFP to ensure a humanitarian development approach to the crisis. In terms of resource mobilization, the World Bank and IMF will provide US$ 10 million and US$ 20 million respectively as budgetary support to the government. The Islamic Development bank will also be providing grants to counter the socio-economic impact of the epidemic.  Thus, effective implementation of the activities in this proposal and allocation of the required budget to the CO will also support deliver some of the resources allocated by partners. UNDP COVID-19 response will be implemented for a duration of 12 to 18 months contingent on evolutions in the pandemic.  

Impact briefs

• Update on the socio-economic situation following Covid19 outbreak in The Gambia
  
• Covid-19 socioeconomic impacts and recovery efforts in The Gambia. When will The Gambia tourism recover?
• The impact of Covid-19 outbreak on trade in The Gambia
• The impact of Covid-19 outbreak on employment in The Gambia 
  

Publications

Safety and Security Report

Socio-Economic Impact Assessment