<span style="color: #222222;">The World Bank has approved USD 500 million financing to help Bangladesh vaccinate 54 million people against COVID 19.<br />''<br />''The additional financing to the COVID 19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project  will help Bangladesh in procuring vaccines, expanding storage facilities and distribute it to 31 percent of its population. It will help the Bangladesh government in achieving the target of vaccinating 40 percent of the population against COVID 19 in the first phase. The project will also help in providing training and capacity building for vaccination in the country.<br />''<br />''The World Bank finance will help cover the deployment cost of the vaccines procured through the COVAX facility of the WHO for 20 percent of the people. It will also provide for direct purchase of vaccines from manufactures or COVAX for the remaining 11 percent of the people.<br />''<br />''World Bank Senior Operations Officer for the project and Task Team leader for the project Iffat Mahmud said that the project will continue to support the setting up of testing laboratories and expand Intensive care provision at the district level.<br />''<br />''The financing is being made from the International Development Association (IDA) at a concessional rate. The IDA credit has a 30-year term, including a five-year grace period.</span><br />