Georgia: Emergency COVID-19 Response Project

OBJECTIVE

To prevent, detect, and respond to the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and to strengthen national systems for public health preparedness in Georgia.

DESCRIPTION

The project will consist of the following three components, which are closely interlinked:

1. Emergency COVID-19 Response:

   1.1 COVID-19 Case Detection and Confirmation

   1.2 Health System Strengthening for Case Management

2. Enabling health measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak through temporary income support for poor households and vulnerable individuals:

      2.1 Cash transfers to poor and vulnerable households

      2.2 Temporary unemployment assistance for individuals who lost their job because of the COVID-19 outbreak

3. Project Management and Monitoring

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

AIIB (the Bank) will co-finance this Project with the World Bank (WB). The Bank has agreed to use WB’s Environmental and Social Framework (WB ESF) as i) the WB ESF is consistent with the Bank’s Articles of Agreement and materially consistent with the provisions of the Bank’s Environmental and Social Policy and the relevant Environmental and Social Standards; and ii) the monitoring procedures that are in place are appropriate for the Project.

Given the nature and potential of spread of the COVID-19 pathogen and the activities to be financed under the project, the environmental and social (ES) risks are rated “Substantial” by the WB. However, the Project is expected to have mostly positive ES impacts, insofar as it should improve capacity of healthcare facilities to address emergency health risks and provide social protection measures.

Overall environmental and social due diligence, impact, and risk management for this Project will be carried out under WB’s ESF. The Project Implementing Entity will be the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health, and Social Affairs (MoILHSA) of Georgia. A Project Implementation Unit (PIU) will be established within the Ministry and staffed with qualified professionals / consultants including an ES specialist to work in accordance with World Bank’s new ESF. The PIU will be responsible for ES screening of project activities, preparation of ES documents, and monitoring of their implementation for all individual investments.

Georgia’s current response to the COVID-19 situation is in line with recommendations of WHO. The MoILHSA will prepare an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) for the Project that would include, a Code of Environmental Practice (CoEP) for minor works associated with installation of modular laboratory and isolation units (e.g., utility connections); Infection Prevention and Control and Waste Management Plan (IPC&WMP) for all beneficiary facilities; Labor Management Procedures (LMP) for direct and contracted workers to ensure proper working conditions and management of worker relationships, occupational health and safety, and to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment. The ESMF will be prepared in accordance with the WB ESF and be reviewed and approved by the WB and AIIB and disclosed on the MoILHSA’s website and on the World Bank and AIIB websites within 30 days after the Effectiveness Date. Until the ESMF has been approved, the MoILHSA will follow current WHO Guidance and will not commence any civil works. Mitigation measures include installation of adequate isolation facilities in all beneficiary hospitals and establishment of effective on-site hospital waste management, storage, transportation and disposal schemes. Mitigation measures will largely be based on WHO technical guidance on COVID-19 response and World Bank Group’s Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines.