The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has launched Covid-19 response programmes in South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, valued at R150-million.
The bank is providing support to various activities that will bolster national and local government capacity to manage the ongoing response, save lives and help ensure the South African and SADC economies are able to recover after the pandemic.
DBSA CEO Patrick Dlamini says the funding allocation will ensure the National Disaster Management Centre is supported strongly, as government continues to mitigate the impact of Covid-19.
Some of this support has realised already, in the form of R2.4-million worth of personal protective equipment provided to frontline medical staff through the Department of Health in South Africa, in partnership with German development finance institution KfW Development Bank.
The DBSA’s programme will further provide funding for mobile testing units in 25 district municipalities across seven provinces in South Africa. There will also be support for the local production and supply of ventilators to public hospitals across the country.
Additionally, isolation pods and medical beds will be distributed to identified vulnerable and strained communities. Some communities will also receive basic services such as water and sanitation infrastructure and electricity.
Dlamini says the bank’s long-term growth-inducing initiatives will not only address Covid-19's adverse impacts, but also meet the objectives of the bank. These include developing new infrastructure aimed at achieving equality in South Africa and across the rest of the African continent.
“While it is still unclear what the final, full impact of the pandemic will be, we believe it is only through our collective efforts and our partnerships, that we will be truly able to build a clear pathway towards a renewed and inclusive economy and society.”