💉 Gaps remain in countries’ readiness to deploy COVID-19 vaccines

PLUS: Building back from COVID-19, how we can create economic opportunities for the poorest. If you're having trouble reading this message, [click here]( [A healthcare worker holds a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine during the first phase of the country nationwide vaccination drive at the Hospital UiTM in Sungai Buloh, outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. Credit: SOPA Images Limited/Alamy Live News]( [Gaps remain in countries’ readiness to deploy COVID-19 vaccines]( The delivery of COVID-19 vaccines presents challenges unprecedented in scale, speed and specificities, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Assessments by World Bank and partners provide insights into more than 120 countries’ readiness to safely distribute vaccines. This new report focuses on ten key indicators, including cold chain and logistics, population prioritization, budgeting, training of healthcare personnel, and safety surveillance, among others. [READ REPORT]( Editor's Pick [Women and youth from rural communities will receive support to help develop their skills in order to be able to eventually run their own micro-businesses. Photo credit: Community Development and Investment Agency.]( [A year into COVID-19, this is how the Kyrgyz Republic is fighting the pandemic]( World Bank emergency support in the amount of $22.15 million has helped the Kyrgyz Republic’s response to the pandemic - through enhancement of disease detection capacities, laboratory equipment, procurement of essential medical goods, rapid conditioning of designated health facilities, and financing of surge staffing. In response to a request from the Kyrgyz authorities, the World Bank will allocate $20 million in 2021 to help purchase additional vaccines and support the roll-out of vaccines to priority groups. [LEARN MORE]( [Credit: Somchai Stock]( [Bringing the digital revolution to food and agriculture]( A new World Bank report explores how digital technologies are improving the food system, and provides a roadmap for countries to scale up their own digital agriculture, which is the use of digital technologies in the agriculture and food system. The report also provides a framework to evaluation policy proposals that can make the food system more efficient, equitable and environmentally sustainable. [READ REPORT]( Blog [A female employee at the Food Lover’s Market in Lusaka, Zambia. In Zambia, the World Bank supports women livelihood projects to provide poor women with life and business skills training, mentorship, and support to form savings groups. Photo: © Arne Hoel/World Bank]( [Economic inclusion programs: A springboard out of extreme poverty]( "Common interventions across economic inclusion programs include a combination of cash or in-kind transfers, skills training or coaching, access to finance, and linkages to market support. As governments now seek scalable solutions for the poorest against the backdrop of COVID-19, three lessons come to the fore." [READ MORE]( Broadcast Series & Virtual Events [© World Bank Group]( [UPCOMING: Corporate Debt in Developing Countries: Critical Building Blocks for Reform and Restructuring]( Panelists will examine the conditions for preserving value in corporate restructurings and how countries are adapting legal and regulatory structures to the COVID-19 crisis, including insolvency and out-of-court workout mechanisms. Join us live Friday, March 19th at 9am ET. [ADD TO CALENDAR]( [© World Bank Group]( [UPCOMING: Data for Better Lives – World Development Report 2021]( World Development Report 2021: Data for Better Lives – the first WDR focused solely on the role of data for development – comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on the global economy, bringing to the fore global data inequalities. How do we tap the full value of data, ensuring equitable access for poor people? What reforms are needed in data governance to protect individuals, businesses, and societies from harm? Tune in live March 24th at 10:30am ET to find out. [ADD TO CALENDAR]( In The News [Urgent Action is Needed to Address the Enormous Education Crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean]( [World Bank Helps Bangladesh Safeguard Low-Income Urban Youths and Returnee Migrants from the Fallout of COVID 19 Pandemic]( [Cabo Verde Received the First Batch of COVID-19 Vaccines]( Jobs [Senior Climate Change Specialist – New Delhi,India]( [Senior Digital Development Specialist – Hanoi,Vietnam]( Social Media [#COVID19 vaccines and strong health systems are vital to protecting lives and strengthening economic recovery. Fair and fast access to #vaccines for the poorest countries will make a huge difference to the whole world. ( [The 2021 virtual Spring Meetings are just around the corner and we are gearing up to bring this year’s four flagship events to you, wherever you are in the world. Bookmark our page: ( Data Viz [Progress in vaccine readiness]( The global COVID-19 vaccination campaign will be the largest in history. The delivery of COVID-19 vaccines presents challenges unprecedented in scale, speed and specificities, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In November 2020, anticipating the availability of safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19, the World Bank together with WHO, UNICEF, the Global Fund, and Gavi rolled out readiness assessments in more than 100 low and middle-income countries. [READ MORE]( Connect with us on social media! Accredited journalists may obtain advance access to reports and information by registering with the Bank's [Online Media Briefing Center]( a password-protected site for working journalists. Material in this newsletter is copyrighted. Requests to reproduce it, in whole or in part, should be addressed to pubrights@worldbank.org For more information visit our website: [worldbank.org](. [Access to Information]( [Other Bank Newsletters]( | [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe from this list]( | [Update subscription preferences](