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

Sovereign Project | 55085-001

The project will provide the Government of Sri Lanka with immediate and flexible financing to support the national COVID-19 vaccination program through APVAX and the regular country allocation. The APVAX allocation comprises a rapid response component (RRC) to support the purchase of Asian Development Bank (ADB) eligible COVID-19 vaccines, while the project investment component (PIC) financed by the regular country allocation will support strengthening of the vaccination information dissemination and monitoring systems, vaccine transportation capacity, and vaccine-related medical waste management.

Project Details

  • Project Officer
    Jayasundara, Herathbanda
    South Asia Department
    Request for information
  • Country/Economy
    Sri Lanka
  • Sector
    • Health
Project Name Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility
Project Number 55085-001
Country / Economy Sri Lanka
Project Status Active
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Loan
Source of Funding / Amount
Loan 4083-SRI: Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility
Ordinary capital resources US$ 84.00 million
Loan 4084-SRI: Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility
Ordinary capital resources US$ 66.00 million
Operational Priorities OP1: Addressing remaining poverty and reducing inequalities
OP2: Accelerating progress in gender equality
OP3: Tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability
OP6: Strengthening governance and institutional capacity
OP7: Fostering regional cooperation and integration
Sector / Subsector

Health / Disease control of communicable disease

Gender Effective gender mainstreaming
Description

The project will provide the Government of Sri Lanka with immediate and flexible financing to support the national COVID-19 vaccination program through APVAX and the regular country allocation. The APVAX allocation comprises a rapid response component (RRC) to support the purchase of Asian Development Bank (ADB) eligible COVID-19 vaccines, while the project investment component (PIC) financed by the regular country allocation will support strengthening of the vaccination information dissemination and monitoring systems, vaccine transportation capacity, and vaccine-related medical waste management.

The project is aligned with the ADB's Strategy 2030 vision for achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, sustainable Asia and the Pacific. The project contributes to addressing remaining nonincome and income poverty and to reducing inequalities, accelerating progress in gender equality, strengthening governance and institutional capacity, fostering regional cooperation and integration, tackling disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability in Sri Lanka.

Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy

Sri Lanka is an island with a population of 21.9 million. The country stands on the cusp of being an upper middle-income country. It was reclassified as a lower middle-income country in July 2020 after being an upper middle-income country for a year based on its classification as of July 2019. The economy entered the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 after suffering a series of shocks that slowed growth. The onset of the pandemic came less than 12 months after the April 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks that severely impacted tourism and growth. Prior to that, a constitutional crisis in late 2018 and droughts in 2016 and 2017 also weighed heavily on the economy. Sri Lanka's gross domestic product (GDP) growth has shown a recent downward trend and averaged 3.7% during 2015-2019 compared to 6.8% during 2010-2014 on the back of a peace dividend and rehabilitation after the end of the civil conflict in 2009. The GDP per capita for 2020 was $3,682, down from $3,852 in 2019.

Status of the Pandemic. COVID-19 cases were first reported in Sri Lanka in January 2020 and the first wave of COVID-19 was during March-June 2020, the second wave was during September 2020-March 2021, and the ongoing third wave has been going on since 25 April 2021. As of 2 June 2021, Sri Lanka had reported 192,547 confirmed cases and 1,566 deaths. The third wave continues to bring an unprecedented and exponential number of COVID-19 patients to health facilities, with the effective reproduction rate increasing from 0.85 on 1 October 2020 to 1.08 on 2 June 2021. In that period, the number of daily new confirmed cases increased from 0.33 per million people to 135.23 per million people. The reported spread of the new coronavirus variants which are known to be more infectious add to this increasing trend. The Government enforced population-wide and health sector-wide interventions since March 2020 to curtail the spread of the pandemic. To move back towards a sustainable economic growth trajectory from 2021, the Government of Sri Lanka plans to vaccinate 80% of the population as an intervention of utmost priority.

Impact

Resilience and responsiveness of the health system enhanced to curtail the COVID-19 virus spread; reduce morbidity and mortality; and reduce the negative health, social, and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka.

Project Outcome
Description of Outcome

Priority populations of Sri Lanka vaccinated against COVID-19 as per the NDVP without compromising routine vaccine service and other health services.

Progress Toward Outcome The project had to undergo several revisions and part of the fund under the L4084-PIC component was cancelled. The first outcome was achieved. It was decided to revise the project DMF during the recent review mission to reflect the actual outcomes of the project. The proposed revisions are ongoing.
Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs

COVID-19 vaccines delivered.

Vaccination information dissemination and monitoring systems strengthened.

Capacity of vaccine transport systems expanded

Vaccine-related medical waste management strengthened

Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues) 1a) 7.125 million people fully vaccinated from 15 million doses delivered to Central EPI stores and Regional stores under ADB financing.2b) Sex-disaggregated data not available for routine EPI data but available for COVID-19 immunization data. EPI routine program is in the process of including sex disaggregated data as a routine quality strengthening initiative. But this is not completed as yet.2c) More than 5000 participants assisted via mothers-support clubs, of which 90% are women. Activities were supported by other donor and government funds.2a) Functional; Financed from other donor and GOSL funds. The electronic immunization data management system is available with age disaggregated data.3b) This activity (a survey) was not carried out and as the COVD-19 vaccination is now completed and as 82% of the eligible population is now vaccinated this activity can be repurposed. According to Health Promotion Bureau (HPB), UNICEF/World Bank supported formative surveys have confirmed that these groups were reached.3a) Deprioritized. The proposed activity under this output was intended to strengthen the regional and central drug distribution service quality by expanding and improving the pharmaceuticals / vaccines transport across the country by procuring 36 refrigerated trucks. But, MOH had vehicles that can transport drugs currently (many old vehicles, only few are refrigerated, etc.). It was therefore possible to transport vaccine using available transport services.3c) No longer required.The government used available vehicles for vaccine and staff movement and this was not required because the campaign was carried out in a staggered manner area by area and was not made viable across the full country at 2000 centers as envisaged in the NDVP. This had to be rolled out in this manner as vaccine arrival was staggered.4b) The hiring of the design and supervision consultancy for designing sewerage systems has not been initiated.This is required by the government but it is not as urgent as the need for pharmaceuticals and reagents. Therefore, the government will explore alternative ways of managing this issue within the available resources for now and when the economic situation is better by requesting additional resources form ADB or other donors.4a) The DGHS of the MOH has informed ADB in writing that they have received incinerators from UNICEF and that they will not need to utilize these resources and that they were also exploring different ways (not clustered management) of managing the HCW in regions.
Geographical Location Nation-wide
Safeguard Categories
Environment B
Involuntary Resettlement C
Indigenous Peoples C
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects
Involuntary Resettlement
Indigenous Peoples
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation
During Project Design
During Project Implementation
Business Opportunities
Consulting Services Individual consultant selection / firm recruitment (CQS) in conformity with ADB's Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and the Procurement Regulations for ADB Borrowers, Goods, Works, Non-consulting and Consulting Services (2017, as amended from time to time).
Procurement Direct contracting / OCB / RFQ in conformity with ADB's Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and the Procurement Regulations for ADB Borrowers, Goods, Works, Non-consulting and Consulting Services (2017, as amended from time to time).
Responsible ADB Officer Jayasundara, Herathbanda
Responsible ADB Department South Asia Department
Responsible ADB Division Sri Lanka Resident Mission
Executing Agencies
Ministry of Health
Timetable
Concept Clearance 01 Jan 2023
Fact Finding 01 Mar 2021 to 05 Mar 2021
MRM 27 May 2021
Approval 08 Jul 2021
Last Review Mission -
Last PDS Update 09 Dec 2022

Loan 4083-SRI

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
08 Jul 2021 09 Jul 2021 19 Aug 2021 31 Dec 2024 - -
Financing Plan Loan Utilization
Total (Amount in US$ million) Date ADB Others Net Percentage
Project Cost 95.85 Cumulative Contract Awards
ADB 84.00 18 May 2023 84.00 0.00 100%
Counterpart 11.85 Cumulative Disbursements
Cofinancing 0.00 18 May 2023 84.00 0.00 100%
Status of Covenants
Category Sector Safeguards Social Financial Economic Others
Rating Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory - - Satisfactory

Loan 4084-SRI

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
08 Jul 2021 09 Jul 2021 19 Aug 2021 31 Dec 2024 - -
Financing Plan Loan Utilization
Total (Amount in US$ million) Date ADB Others Net Percentage
Project Cost 66.00 Cumulative Contract Awards
ADB 66.00 18 May 2023 21.14 0.00 68%
Counterpart 0.00 Cumulative Disbursements
Cofinancing 0.00 18 May 2023 21.83 0.00 70%
Status of Covenants
Category Sector Safeguards Social Financial Economic Others
Rating Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory - - Satisfactory

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.

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Title Document Type Document Date
Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility: Audited Project Financial Statements (19 August-31 December 2021) Audited Project Financial Statements Jun 2022
Amendment to the Loan Agreement for Loan 4084-SRI: Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility Loan Agreement (Ordinary Resources) Mar 2022
Amendment to the Loan Agreement for Loan 4083-SRI: Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility Loan Agreement (Ordinary Resources) Mar 2022
Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility: Updated Project Administration Manual Project/Program Administration Manual Mar 2022
Loan Agreement (Ordinary Operations) for Loan 4084-SRI: Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project - Project Investment Component Loan Agreement (Ordinary Resources) Jul 2021
Loan Agreement (Ordinary Operations) for Loan 4083-SRI: Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project - Rapid Response Component Loan Agreement (Ordinary Resources) Jul 2021
Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility: Report and Recommendation of the President Reports and Recommendations of the President Jun 2021
Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility: Project Administration Manual Project/Program Administration Manual Jun 2021
Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility: Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Action Plan Gender Action Plans Jun 2021
Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility: Procurement Plan Procurement Plans Jun 2021

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.

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Tenders

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Contracts Awarded

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Procurement Plan