Nepal : Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility

Sovereign Project | 55084-001

The project will support the procurement and delivery of safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 through APVAX's RRC in compliance with ADB's vaccine eligibility criteria to the country. It aims to finance the procurement of about 15.9 million doses of vaccines, which will be administered to about 6.8 million Nepalese by 2024, with data collected and disaggregated by sex and age.

Project Details

  • Project Officer
    Van Dael, Rudi Louis Hendrikus
    South Asia Department
    Request for information
  • Country/Economy
    Nepal
  • Sector
    • Health
Project Name Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility
Project Number 55084-001
Country / Economy Nepal
Project Status Active
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Loan
Source of Funding / Amount
Loan 4088-NEP: Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project Under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility
Concessional ordinary capital resources lending US$ 165.00 million
Operational Priorities OP1: Addressing remaining poverty and reducing inequalities
OP2: Accelerating progress in gender equality
OP7: Fostering regional cooperation and integration
Sector / Subsector

Health / Disease control of communicable disease

Gender Effective gender mainstreaming
Description The project will support the procurement and delivery of safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 through APVAX's RRC in compliance with ADB's vaccine eligibility criteria to the country. It aims to finance the procurement of about 15.9 million doses of vaccines, which will be administered to about 6.8 million Nepalese by 2024, with data collected and disaggregated by sex and age.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy Since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Nepal on 27 January 2020, 591,494 cases have been confirmed and 7,990 people have died from the virus as of 7 June 2021. The pandemic resulted in high costs to the country's overall health, well-being, and economy. The disease's infection rate previously peaked in October 2020 with a monthly average test positivity rate of more than 24%. After a subsequent decline, Nepal has been facing a second wave since April 2021, with test positivity above 45%. The crisis is compounded by the country's severe lack of qualified health care workers; there are reports of one nurse caring for 20 critically ill patients. Recognizing the need for vaccination, the government acted swiftly to roll out inoculations starting 27 January 2021. More than 2 million (2,113,080) people received the first dose and 691,494 the second dose by 7 June 2021. Nepal aims to inoculate 71.62% of its population. However, it has not secured a pipeline for vaccines and faces significant financing gaps for vaccine procurement. The government requires timely financial support to procure safe and effective vaccines and limit the adverse impacts of the pandemic.
Impact

Accelerated health, social, and economic recovery from COVID-19 in Nepal.

Project Outcome
Description of Outcome

Target populations safely vaccinated against COVID-19

Progress Toward Outcome

As of 15 March 2022, Nepal vaccinated 81.9% of its population over 18 years, and 78.64% of its population over 12 years. In total over 18 million people were vaccinated.

Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs

Safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines delivered

Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)

Progress towards the outputs is mixed. Nepal received in total 47.884 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from various sources, and has sufficient vaccines. 5.937 million vaccines were procured with ADB financing, which is only 37% of the original target. It is not expected that more vaccines will be procured. 90.47% of total received vaccines have been delivered to all provinces and used, whereas 9.93% are in stock and stored in the cold chain.

With regard to other targets over 93% of all the Female Community Health Volunteers were vaccinated in 2021, based on a telephone survey.

On vaccine awareness, more than 80% percent of the population reported wearing a mask during the holiday or festival season. Given the high rate of vaccination, awareness remains high.

The vaccination campaign is a big success, a main challenge is to reach the final unvaccinated people and health care waste management.

Geographical Location Nation-wide
Safeguard Categories
Environment C
Involuntary Resettlement C
Indigenous Peoples C
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects The project supports the procurement and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines at the delivery points in the country. It will not entail any activities with the potential to cause adverse environmental impacts. However, the administration of vaccines will generate biomedical waste, which will require safe treatment and disposal. ADB carried out due diligence of the current health care waste management (HCWM) status in the country and the plans to strengthen HCWM. The results of this due diligence is recorded in a due diligence report. ADB together with other partners will support through TA the strengthening of HCWM.
Involuntary Resettlement The project will not require any land acquisition or lead to any involuntary resettlement impacts. Improved medical waste management will not result in civil works under the project.
Indigenous Peoples While indigenous (janajati) communities are present in the country, they will not be targeted as a group of distinct and vulnerable indigenous peoples, as defined by ADB's indigenous peoples safeguard policies. The project will ensure that members of indigenous people groups will not be excluded and will not suffer any disadvantages in targeting because they belong to an indigenous people group. The Government of Nepal treats all citizens with equal significance, and this is reflected in the vaccination program.
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation
During Project Design ADB closely coordinated with key development partners involved in the health sector, especially with those supporting the vaccination campaign, on risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) activities to inform all Nepali, with special attention to the poor and vulnerable, on the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic and the benefits of and access to vaccination using a variety of communication tools and techniques, including consultation.
During Project Implementation Civil society organizations will raise awareness about the vaccine to all Nepali, with special attention to women, poor, and vulnerable groups, through RCCE activities implemented by UNICEF and partially funded by ADB TA.
Business Opportunities
Procurement Procurement will be undertaken in a manner consistent with simplified and expedient procedures permitted under the ADB's Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and Procurement Regulations for ADB Borrowers (2017, as amended from time to time). Since the project will be financed under APVAX, ADB member eligibility restrictions will be waived and universal procurement will apply. The procurement of vaccine may be done through (i) Accessing additional vaccines through COVAX; (ii) Engaging UNICEF or other UN agencies to support procurement of vaccines outside COVAX; (iii) Entering into direct bilateral deals with vaccine manufacturers; and (iv) Entering into Government to Government (G2G) contract for procuring vaccines. ADB will prior review all agreements. Value for money in procurement will be achieved by (i) Selecting vaccines that are best suited to domestic supply chain; and (ii) the recommended procurement strategy involves entering into service contract with UNICEF outside COVAX facilities as UNICEF is best positioned to manage vaccine purchasing complexities and the intricate logistics requirements for these temperature-sensitive items and UNICEF has been assisting for a long period in supporting the vaccine procurement for Nepal's National Child Immunization Program. ADB's Anticorruption Policy (1998, as amended to date) will apply to all contracts to be financed under the loan.
Responsible ADB Officer Van Dael, Rudi Louis Hendrikus
Responsible ADB Department South Asia Department
Responsible ADB Division Nepal Resident Mission (NRM)
Executing Agencies
Ministry of Finance
Timetable
Concept Clearance 01 Jan 2023
Fact Finding 12 Apr 2021 to 30 Apr 2021
MRM 26 May 2021
Approval 22 Jul 2021
Last Review Mission -
Last PDS Update 12 Jul 2022

Loan 4088-NEP

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
22 Jul 2021 11 Aug 2021 26 Aug 2021 31 Jan 2025 - -
Financing Plan Loan Utilization
Total (Amount in US$ million) Date ADB Others Net Percentage
Project Cost 165.00 Cumulative Contract Awards
ADB 165.00 26 Jul 2023 83.45 0.00 51%
Counterpart 0.00 Cumulative Disbursements
Cofinancing 0.00 26 Jul 2023 84.07 0.00 51%
Status of Covenants
Category Sector Safeguards Social Financial Economic Others
Rating Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory Partly satisfactory - Unsatisfactory

Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.

The Access to Information Policy (AIP) recognizes that transparency and accountability are essential to development effectiveness. It establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced.

The Accountability Mechanism provides a forum where people adversely affected by ADB-assisted projects can voice and seek solutions to their problems and report alleged noncompliance of ADB's operational policies and procedures.

In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of, or reference to, a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.


Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.

None currently available.


Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation

None currently available.


Related Publications

None currently available.


The Access to Information Policy (AIP) establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced in its operations to facilitate stakeholder participation in ADB's decision-making. For more information, refer to the Safeguard Policy Statement, Operations Manual F1, and Operations Manual L3.

Requests for information may also be directed to the InfoUnit.

Tenders

No tenders for this project were found.

Contracts Awarded

No contracts awarded for this project were found

Procurement Plan