Summary Background on the PNG COVID19 Emergency Response Project

The Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG) has secured US$20 million IDA credits allocated from the World Bank through the Fast Track Covid-19 Response Program for the COVID-19 Emergency Reponses Project (the Project). The Project reflects the emergency response under the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Program (SPRP) and aims to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 and strengthen national systems for public health in PNG by improving emergency preparedness and response, strengthening health systems, and managing implementation and monitoring and evaluation. The Project will have a national footprint, although some activities are restricted to 10 priority provinces.

The Project objectives are aligned to the results chain of the COVID-19 SPRP. This project is prepared under the global framework of the World Bank COVID-19 Response financed under the Fast Track COVID-19 Facility.

The Projects Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) was prepared to guide the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) and the Sub-component project Proponents on the environmental and social screening processes and subsequent assessment during implementation, including activity-specific plans in accordance with the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). The ESMF is supported by the Infection Prevention Control and Waste Management Plan (IPC&WMP), Code of Environmental and Social Practice (CoESP), Labour Management Procedure (LMP), Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP). A Grievances Redress Mechanism has also been prepared to manage grievances associated with the Project.