BRAC
- LocationsSierra Leone, Uganda
- SectorHealth
- Type of investmentGrant
- Project stageTest & Transition
A $1.05 million grant to fund BRAC Sierra Leone’s and BRAC Uganda’s efforts to fight COVID-19. BRAC Sierra Leone’s focus is on emergency response work, in the form of behavioural change messaging reinforced by in-person support from community health workers. BRAC Uganda’s work focuses on health system strengthening.
The development problem.
Even though at the end of 2020 there were relatively few cases and deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Africa(2.5 million and 57,000 respectively), the rate of spread and possibility of future waves has public health officials concerned. At the same time, there has been a growing awareness of the expected negative economic repercussions for many developing countries, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable sections of their societies.
The innovation.
This investment relates to emergency COVID-19 response work in Sierra Leone and Uganda, as well as long-term health systems strengthening in Uganda achieved through improvisation and technology adoption. The improvisation relates to BRAC refocusing existing staff and volunteers from general and health community support to collaborating with the Government of Sierra Leone and the Government of Uganda in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The health systems strengthening involves BRAC working with the Government of Uganda to demonstrate the use of digital platforms for behavioural change messaging, remote training of CHWs and data collection by CHWs.
GIF's investment.
$1.05M
Why we invested
- BRAC has a long-standing history of successful community health work in Sierra Leone and Uganda. BRAC Uganda is a key partner of the Ministry of Health and was specifically requested to help in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. BRAC Sierra Leone operated throughout the 2014-2016 Ebola Crisis, when most other NGOs ceased operations.
- In addition to the urgent need to stem the spread of COVID-19in Sierra Leone and Uganda, GIF believes that if the Government of Uganda, working with BRAC and other partners such as Living Goods, can adopt their tools for data collection and integration into the existing health system network, it will not only save lives during this pandemic but on an on-going basis.
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