Guyana, World Bank sign US$22M ‘One Health’ project

…bank’s director expresses commitment to supporting Govt’s development drive

The Guyana government and the World Bank on Tuesday signed a US$22 Million agreement for the ‘One Health’ project, which will see the bank supporting Guyana in improving its capacity to respond effectively to health emergencies and funding for a range of initiatives from enhanced laboratories to greater monitoring at the borders.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Finance, the funding is comprised of a US$15 Million grant from the Pandemic Fund, a facility set up by the World Bank to help countries boost their preparedness for pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic a few years ago, and a US$7 Million loan also from the World Bank.
Present at the signing were Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, World Bank’s Resident Representative Diletta Doretti and Human Development Director at the World Bank, for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jaime Saavedra. In his remarks, Saavedra reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting the Government’s development drive.
Further, Saavedra noted that the project reflects the strong commitment of the Government of Guyana itself to revolutionize its healthcare system. The Director went on to urge other countries to take heed of the example being set by Guyana, on both the regional and global stage.
“This phrase of One Health puts together this interconnectedness between human, animal and environmental health and it reminds us that a threat to one of them eventually results in a threat to all. I think this is strong leadership of the country to bring together public health on one hand, veterinary science on the other and environmental management, or everything at the same time sets a very strong example,” Saavedra said.
That very Tuesday, Saavedra also participated in the ribbon cutting of a US$4.576 Million Medical Sciences College that was partially funded by the World Bank and built on the University of Guyana’s (UG) Turkeyen campus. At that ceremony, he had also reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to Guyana and had noted the importance of the bank’s support for health and education.
“The World Bank remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting the government of Guyana’s mission to deliver world class education that meets current needs and anticipates fair challenges. The stakes could not be higher. The doctors we train today, will shape healthcare for decades to come. But today, a new chapter in the medical history of Guyana is beginning.”
“A new chapter that will not only allow a great university to be effective in educating future health professionals, but will allow the citizens of this country to be more prosperous, healthier and happier,” Saavedra had said.

Historic
Meanwhile, Dr. Singh at the US$22 Million loan signing, described the event as a historic one, coming on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic that the PPP/C government developed a pandemic response to in its first year of office.
At the time, Guyana had been going through a crisis of democracy caused by the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) government’s decision to squat in office for five months after losing the elections.
According to the Finance Minister, Guyana was woefully unprepared at the time for a pandemic, yet rose to the challenge under the Dr. Ali led government. As a matter of fact, so exemplary was Guyana’s navigation of the crisis, that it earned Guyana an invitation to serve on the board of the Pandemic Fund.
“The Guyana example has been cited on multiple occasions and the project checks every box, for example the project illustrates the use of World Bank/IDA resources to leverage additional resources, such as the grant now received from the Pandemic Fund. Additionally, it is a project that is fully aligned with national priorities addressing actions that emerged from the Government’s Action Plan for pandemic preparedness,” Dr. Singh further explained.
Also present at the signing was Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony, who remarked on the government’s close collaboration with the World Bank during the Covid-19 pandemic. He also recognized the need for Guyana to adequately prepare itself for future pandemics and expressed appreciation for the bank.
The One Health Project is an initiative aimed at strengthening Guyana’s capacities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to health emergencies through a One Health approach. It includes capacity building for laboratories and human resources, strengthening health surveillance including at the border, strengthening one health coordination and capacity, a rapid data driven health surveillance system and a strengthened public health workforce.