Project profile — COVID-19 Essential Health Services Grants

• South of Sahara, regional (85.00%)
• West Indies, regional (0.50%)
• North and Central America, regional (0.50%)
• Asia, regional (14.00%)

• Health, General: Health policy and administrative management (12110) (40.00%)
• Health education:
Health education (12261) (5.00%)
Health personnel development (12281) (15.00%)
• Health: COVID-19 control (12264) (40.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This project aims to assist developing country governments in protecting the health of women, children, and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project provides grant funding to support delivering essential health services as part of the country’s COVID-19 response. Project activities include: (1) providing health service delivery innovations, such as combining family planning services with COVID-19 vaccine delivery; (2) increasing the capacity of the health workforce by training and supporting community health workers; and (3) strengthening country-level disease surveillance and data collection to help countries target resources where they are most needed.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved health service delivery, including providing health supplies; (2) improved country health data systems; and (3) enhanced decision-making around country-level policies and financial allocations to respond to the challenges of COVID-19.

Results achieved as of June 2023 include: (1) maintained and strengthened essential health services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in 23 Global Financing Facility-supported countries; (2) strengthened country data collection systems, including civil registration and vital statistic systems; and (3) increased funding allocated towards women’s and children’s health across GFF-supported countries. This includes Ethiopia devised an innovative approach using digital technology to get real-time data on childbirths and deaths at the community level, which supported evidence-based decision-making; Malawi implemented rapid response assessments through frequent phone calls to a representative sample of facilities, collecting information on service disruptions, essential supplies, COVID-19 readiness, and human resources; Mozambique procured nutritional supplements for mothers and children while working with the central medicine authority to improve the distribution of medical kits to community health workers; and Indonesia set up contactless, digitally-enabled "telemedicine" solutions to ensure continuity of care.

• Proactive disclosure