ADB releases $10million grant to help finance Samoa’s COVID-19 response

“This quick disbursing financing will enable the Government of Samoa to rapidly put in place measures to contain the virus,” said ADB Director General for the Pacific Leah Gutierrez.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released a $10 million (25.6 million tala) grant from its Pacific Disaster Resilience Program (Phase 3) to help finance the Government of Samoa's response to the community transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Samoa continues to battle a surge in the domestic transmission of the virus. The Ministry of Health has confirmed 13 COVID-19-related deaths since the first case was detected at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole National Hospital on 17 March 2022. The total cumulative number of COVID-19 cases, from border and community cases, stands at about 7,185.

"This quick disbursing financing will enable the Government of Samoa to rapidly put in place measures to contain the virus," said ADB Director General for the Pacific Leah Gutierrez. "Rising vaccination rates will help Samoa and most of the Pacific subregion recover from the effects of the pandemic."

The ADB-supported Pacific Disaster Resilience Program (Phase 3) fills a financing gap common to many Pacific developing member countries during disasters, providing a predictable and quick-disbursing source of financing for early response and recovery activities.