CDB acquiring $3M in COVID-19 protective equipment for borrowing member countries

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The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) will be procuring $3 million worth of personal protective equipment to assist their borrowing member countries in their fight against COVID-19.

The British Virgin Islands is one of the 18 member countries that stand to benefit from this initiative if needed.

A CDB media release said the bank will centrally procure protective equipment such as masks, gloves, goggles and safety gowns which, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), are among the priority items needed for preparedness and response.

Vice President of Operations for CDB Monica La Bennett said the regional bank’s purchasing power will allow them to gain access to items which would be difficult for some smaller countries to attain, as some supplies are becoming scarcer.

“With the disruption of supply chains, increased demand, and soaring prices, the Caribbean Development Bank will purchase personal protective equipment in bulk to achieve greater value for money and certainty of supply to frontline helpers who are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic,” Bennett stated.

The release also said that the regional health agencies of CDMEA, the Caribbean Public Health Agency and the Pan American Health Organisation, will be working closely with national governments to identify their needs prior to distributing the protective equipment.

This follows news that the European Union issued an $8.6 million grant to benefit member states of the Caribbean Public Health Agency in combating COVID-19.