The World Bank Additional Financing DRC COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Project (P176215) Note to Task Teams: The following sections are system generated and can only be edited online in the Portal. Please delete this note when finalizing the document. Project Information Document (PID) Appraisal Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 01-Jun-2021 | Report No: PIDA31402 Mar 22, 2021 Page 1 of 8 The World Bank Additional Financing DRC COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Project (P176215) BASIC INFORMATION OPS_TABLE_BASIC_DATA A. Basic Project Data Country Project ID Project Name Parent Project ID (if any) Congo, Democratic Republic of P176215 Additional Financing DRC P173825 COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Project Parent Project Name Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date DRC COVID-19 Strategic AFRICA EAST 14-Jun-2021 24-Jun-2021 Preparedness and Response Project (SPRP) Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Health, Nutrition & Population Investment Project Democratic Republic of Ministry of Health Financing Congo Proposed Development Objective(s) Parent The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to strengthen the DRC government capacity to prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on selected provinces. Proposed Development Objective(s) Additional Financing To Strengthen the DRC Government capacity to prepare for and respond to COVID-19 pandemic. Components Component 1: Emergency COVID-19 Response, National and Sub-national Prevention and Preparedness Component 2: Communication campaign, Community Engagement and Behavior change Component 3: Implementation Management and Monitoring & Evaluation Component 4: Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC) PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY -NewFin1 Total Project Cost 200.00 Total Financing 200.00 of which IBRD/IDA 200.00 Financing Gap 0.00 Mar 22, 2021 Page 2 of 8 The World Bank Additional Financing DRC COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Project (P176215) DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 World Bank Group Financing International Development Association (IDA) 200.00 IDA Credit 100.00 IDA Grant 100.00 Environmental and Social Risk Classification High Note to Task Teams: End of system generated content, document is editable from here. Please delete this note when finalizing the document. Other Decision (as needed) B. Introduction and Context Country Context 1. The first COVID-19 case in the DRC was confirmed on March 10, 2020 in the province of Kinshasa. As of February 27, 2021, there were officially 25,792 confirmed cases and 707 fatalities1—the majority of which are in Kinshasa. 2. Congolese authorities have taken specific and concrete action to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus since the first case was confirmed in March 2020, including the declaration of a state of emergency. The government-imposed confinement in the central business district of the capital (Gombe), closed the airports, and restricted travel between Kinshasa and the rest of the country. Restrictions were eased at the end of June 2020, and the state of emergency was lifted on July 21, 2020. Facing a second wave of infections, a national curfew (9pm-5am) was put in place on December 18, 2020. In addition, the government suspended the resumption of schools following the Christmas break. 3. The COVID-19 pandemic has already caused significant social and economic impacts in the DRC— exacerbated by weak social outcomes and an economy that is poorly equipped to address shocks. Given the pre-existing poverty and vulnerability of the Congolese population, the aggregate shocks of the COVID-19 crisis may translate into a welfare shock at the household level. In line with emerging worldwide evidence, Congolese women have been disproportionately affected by the health and socio-economic impacts of measures applied for the control of COVID-19. Most women are employed in the informal sector, which has been heavily affected by border and market closures and restrictions 1 Source: HSD COVID-19 Health indicators Dashboard Mar 22, 2021 Page 3 of 8 The World Bank Additional Financing DRC COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Project (P176215) on movement. Similarly, high food prices, declining incomes, and the increase of the exchange rate limit women's ability to meet basic household needs, including food for children. COVID-19 has had an adverse impact on women’s health and nutrition, as well as protection, with increased risks of GBV, including risks of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and early marriage, particularly faced by adolescent girls, compounded by an accentuated economic vulnerability and the disruption of education.2 Sectoral and Institutional Context 4. This AF is aligned with the CPF that is under development for DRC covering the period FY2021-26, which applies a COIVD-19 filter to all ongoing projects. The CPF outlines three phases related to the COVID-19 pandemic: relief, restructuring, and resilient recovery. This project falls under the relief phase: successful deployment of an effective vaccine is critical to reduce transmission of COVID-19 and to reduce the adverse impacts of the pandemic on population health and the country’s economy. The project also falls under focus area one of the new CPF, which is strengthening service delivery for increased human capital. The AF will strengthen systems for the deployment of vaccines, which will not only have benefits to reduce transmission of the virus, but also to be able to expand essential childhood vaccinations. C. Proposed Development Objective(s) 5. the PDO of the parent project will be revised to allow for the now nationwide scope of the project. To this end, the following phrase in the PDO will be dropped: “with focus on selected provinces.� The parent project includes the following components: (i) Emergency COVID-19 Response, National and Sub-national Prevention and Preparedness; (ii) Communication Campaign, Community Engagement and Behavior Change; (iii) Implementation Management and Monitoring & Evaluation; and (iv) Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC).3 The proposed Additional Financing will expand the scope of the parent project, and will support procurement of COVID-19 vaccines, improvements to the cold chain, logistics to deliver vaccines to health facilities and other vaccination points, costs of vaccine administration, communication activities to improve awareness and reduce vaccine hesitancy, capacity development of health staff, and monitoring and evaluation, as well as further strengthening of preparedness and response activities under the parent project . The project uses a Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA). Original PDO The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to strengthen the DRC government capacity to prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on selected provinces. 2 CASS: The impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak response on women and girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and REACH, Indicateurs pertinents pour la réponse au COVID-19. 3http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/349641585951020231/pdf/Congo-Democratic-Republic-of-COVID-19-Strategic- Preparedness-and-Response-Project.pdf Mar 22, 2021 Page 4 of 8 The World Bank Additional Financing DRC COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Project (P176215) Current PDO Percentage of population vaccinated, which is included in the priority population targets defined in national plan [by gender]. Target: 25% (new indicator). Key Results Component 1 • National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP) for COVID-19 vaccines validated. Target: Yes (new indicator) Component 2 • National risk communication and community engagement plan developed to reduce COVID-19 transmission and vaccine hesitancy. Target: Yes (modified indicator) • Number of female community health workers (ReCOs) trained to provide accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines. Target: 5000 (new indicator) D. Project Description The proposed Additional Financing to the DRC COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Project (SPRP) will expand the scope of the parent project, and will support procurement of COVID-19 vaccines, improvements to the cold chain, logistics to deliver vaccines to health facilities and other vaccination points, costs of vaccine administration, communication activities to improve awareness and reduce vaccine hesitancy, capacity development of health staff, and monitoring and evaluation, as well as further strengthening of preparedness and response activities under the parent project . As the proposed activities to be funded under the AF are aligned with the original PDO, the PDO will remain unchanged. Note to Task Teams: The following sections are system generated and can only be edited online in the Portal. Please delete this note when fializing the document. . Legal Operational Policies Triggered? No Projects on International Waterways OP 7.50 No Projects in Disputed Areas OP 7.60 Summary of Assessment of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts . Mar 22, 2021 Page 5 of 8 The World Bank Additional Financing DRC COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Project (P176215) The environmental risk classification for the project is Substantial under the World Bank ESF. Key environmental risks and impacts are related to biosafety, including: (i) management of biomedical waste (especially handling highly infectious medical wastes such as COVID-19), and (ii) occupational and community health and safety issues related to risks from communicable disease transmission as a result of testing, handling, transporting, disposing of supplies and medical samples, as well as to health facilities and laboratories rehabilitations/construction activities. This classification takes also into account the capacity of the designated PIU, as well as all stakeholders involved in the preparation and implementation of the DRC COVID-19, to manage potential risks, as well as the current health system to respond to COVID-19 at the national and provincial level. Social risk is considered Substantial. Key social risks are those related to (i) marginalized and vulnerable social groups (including indigenous peoples, the poor, and displaced persons and/or refugees) who will not be vaccinated until phase 2 of the government plan, after the first prioritized 20 percent of the population has been vaccinated, and may be unable to access facilities and services designed to combat the disease, due to long distances to participating health centers, language or cultural barriers, etc.,; (ii) social conflicts resulting from false rumors and misinformation, (iii) issues resulting from people being kept in quarantine, including stigma faced by those admitted to treatment or isolation facilities, and (iv) risks of Gender-Based Violence, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, or Sexual Harassment (GBV/SEA/SH) to Project workers and beneficiaries. Note: To view the Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts, please refer to the Additional Financing ESRS Document. Please delete this note when finalizing the document. E. Implementation Mar 22, 2021 Page 6 of 8 The World Bank Additional Financing DRC COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Project (P176215) Institutional and Implementation Arrangements 6. Implementation/institutional arrangements for project implementation and oversight will remain the same as for the parent COVID-19 project. The PDSS-PIU unit will coordinate project-related activities among MOPHHP departments, with technical lead by the EPI and in coordination with the National Technical Secretariat and development partners. Additional technical support will be provided to the PDSS-PIU and the Provincial Health Directorates. Furthermore, United Nations (UN) agencies (WHO and UNICEF) will remain key partners in ensuring vaccine purchase, deployment and supporting community mobilization for this project. Vaccine administration will be done through health facilities under the auspices of the central and provincial government health authorities. Strategic and technical advice on COVID-19 vaccination is provided by the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG). The DRC NITAG is multidisciplinary group of 15 national experts responsible for providing independent, evidence-informed advice to policy makers and program managers on policy issues related to immunization and vaccines. During the vaccination campaign, with support from this AF, independent verification of implementation of its technical, operational, and environmental and social aspects, will be done with assessments at key points in the supply chain as well as a sample of vaccination sites. The Ministry of Public Health (MOPHHP), with support from the National Technical Secretariat for COIVD-19 response,4 is the implementing agency for the project. The National Technical Secretariat was established by President Tshisekedi to provide technical and operational oversight for the DRC’s COVID-19 response. The parent project is being implemented by the MOPHHP, with day-to-day management delegated to the Project Implementation Unit (PDSS-PIU). The PDSS-PIU is coordinating and implementing Bank-financed projects in the Health Nutrition and Population (HNP) sector and has sufficiently expanded its administrative and fiduciary management capabilities in order to implement the parent COVID-19 project. The MOPHHP Expanded Program for Immunization (EPI) will have a critical role in COVID-19 vaccine distribution, making use of its cold chain, human resources, and management and reporting systems Note to Task Teams: The following sections are system generated and can only be edited online in the Portal. Please delete this note when finalizing the document. . CONTACT POINT World Bank Ghulam Dastagir Sayed Senior Health Specialist Borrower/Client/Recipient Democratic Republic of Congo 4 TheNational Technical Secretariat was established to provide technical leadership for the COVID-19 response in DRC and is headed by a coordinator appointed by the President of the Republic. The members include: The Secretary General for Health, the Inspector General of Health, representatives of technical and financial partners, and representatives of civil society. Mar 22, 2021 Page 7 of 8 The World Bank Additional Financing DRC COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Project (P176215) Implementing Agencies Ministry of Health Honore Tshiyoyo Project Coordinator minister.finance@gouv.cd FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Ghulam Dastagir Sayed Approved By Practice Manager/Manager: Country Director: Issa Diaw 04-Jun-2021 Note to Task Teams: End of system generated content, document is editable from here. Please delete this note when finalizing the document. Mar 22, 2021 Page 8 of 8