FAO to co-implement 21 new projects with $109 million in second round of Pandemic Fund financing | FAO News

Rome – The Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will co-lead the implementation of 21 new projects as part of the second round of funding from The Pandemic Fund. Aimed at enhancing global & local health security, these projects totalling $109 million, will benefit 32  countries across the world. 

Four fast-tracked projects for mpox affected countries were announced in September, with 17 additional projects announced in October.  

Over 50 percent of the funds awarded under this second round are for countries in sub-Saharan Africa – the region with the highest demand for Pandemic Fund grants.

Countries that will receive FAO support include Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, & Rwanda where projects are fast-tracked to enhance health security through the One Health approach. This approach acknowledges the interdependence of human, animal, & environmental health.  

Additional countries such as Chad, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Philippines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, & Tunisia will also see significant investments with FAO support for pandemic preparedness. There will also be multi-country projects in Africa, Eastern Caribbean & in the South-East Asia region.  

This funding round builds on the same priorities as in the first round, supporting more countries & regions, to strengthen priority technical areas such as collaborative surveillance, laboratory capacity, & workforce development. The funding also aims to strengthen cross-sector collaboration, leverage sustainable financing, & improve efficiency in pandemic prevention, preparedness, & response efforts.

The new projects will expand FAO’s Pandemic Fund portfolio to 33 initiatives across its five regions—Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe & Central Asia, Latin America & the Caribbean, & the Near East & North Africa—supporting 45 countries with a combined value of nearly $170 million.

To deliver, FAO is partnering with national governments, regional bodies & other Implementing Entities including the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank (WB), & the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Government agencies & community based organizations (CBOs) will be among the critical delivery partners on the ground.

Launched in November 2022 during a G20 meeting, the Pandemic Fund, hosted by the World Bank Group, is the first multilateral financing mechanism dedicated to helping low-& middle-income countries become better prepared for future pandemics. It receives applications from countries, supported by accredited Implementing Entities such as FAO, & the Fund’s Governing Board agrees on finance allocations. 

FAO’s role

FAO’s existing expertise in strengthening the core technical capacities of veterinary services, including in disease surveillance & laboratory diagnostics, will be a key asset in this second round of funding.

For example, FAO’s digital tools like EMA-i, inFARM, EMPRES-i, & alerts via SMS, allow fast reporting for mitigation & supports quality assurance & biosafety for animal health labs.

The Organization also has a strong track record of supporting veterinary laboratories & workforce development, including through the FAO Field Veterinary Epidemiology Training, which equips veterinary professionals to detect & respond early to emerging health threats.  

Direct financial support from the Pandemic Fund catalyses further investments from national governments, development banks & international partners.

FAO & partners are now entering the final approval stage for the successful proposals, with full implementation expected to begin by early 2025.