The Pandemic Fund

Background

Guyana was awarded US$15.6 million from the Pandemic Fund to implement a One Health strategy and enhance the country’s prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) capabilities. The grant catalyzed an additional US$7.6 million in co-financing and US$88.9 million in co-investment.

Guyana officially became high-income in 2023. Prosperity has come with some challenges, however. An influx of travelers for both business and tourism has expanded Guyana’s exposure to cross-border disease spread, while land-use changes have increased environmental risks like soil erosion. Simultaneously, the effects of climate change – from rising sea levels to floods and droughts – have increased the risk of food-born, water-born, and zoonotic diseases including dengue, malaria, and chikungunya. More than 20 percent of the deaths in the country are due to infectious pathogens. Guyana’s government provides more than 80 percent of the healthcare in the country and, in less  than four years, doubled the national health budget. COVID-19 highlighted many of the areas in which the system remains constrained, however, including those that the Pandemic Fund prioritizes—surveillance, laboratory systems, and workforce development. 

The Pandemic Fund also emphasizes multisectoral collaboration. In keeping with that spirit, Guyana’s project is a joint effort among the Ministry of Health, the Ministries of Agriculture, Finance, Legal Affairs, Natural Resources, and Tourism. The World Bank is the Implementing Entity and additional partners include the Global Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, the Pan American Health Organization, and the WHO.  
 

Project objectives

With the Pandemic Fund grant, Guyana aims to reduce the number of deaths associated with infectious disease -- paying particular attention to the country’s high mothers and children maternal and child mortality rates -- and raise life expectancy for all of the country’s people. In doing so, it will seek input from the Ministry of Human and Social Services and civil society organizations including the Amerindians People Association, the National Commission on Disability, Red Thread, and the Women and Gender Equality Commission to inform the project’s implementation. 
 

Implementation arrangements and key components

In order to achieve its objectives, Guyana has planned a range of activities aligned with the Pandemic Fund’s priorities. These activities are detailed below. 

1. Enhancing surveillance. Activities in this area include modernizing, digitizing, and integrating Guyana’s surveillance system to enable earlier detection of acute public health events, more efficient outbreak investigations, and swifter response times, as well as strengthening the detection and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance.
2. Upgrading the laboratory system. This component of the project includes integrating the National Public Health Reference Laboratory, regional laboratories, veterinary public health laboratories, the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department laboratory, and laboratories under the Ministry of Agriculture. It also focuses on building capacity for genomic sequencing and strengthening the Veterinary Laboratory’s ability to detect pathogens on animal reservoirs before they threaten people.
3. Strengthening the One Health workforce. Activities in this area include training surveillance officers to work within a decentralized system to boost efficiency and strengthening the allied health workforce, spanning surveillance officers, respiratory therapy and ultrasonography technologists, digital health technicians, and other specialists. 

The World Bank provides technical assistance, as well as expertise in convening and managing stakeholders and using resources cost-effectively. 
 

Expected outcomes

With the Pandemic Fund grant and support of all project partners, Guyana aims to:

1. Increase resource availability to help state and civil society organizations build capacity across the human, animal, and environmental health sectors;
2. Make the surveillance system more efficient to support rapid decision-making and action;
3. Integrate and digitize the country’s laboratory system;
4. Increase the number of trained, One Health-aligned public health workers;
5. Strengthen border health capabilities at all designated points of entry.