ADB’s Comprehensive Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has become a major global crisis that requires country, regional, and global intervention, as well as collaboration to mitigate damage to economies and people’s health. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided several targeted interventions to support its developing member countries (DMCs) from the early stages of this emergency and is collaborating closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other development partners. However, the scope and scale of the ongoing crisis make it imperative for ADB to step up support to its DMCs in combating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure these resources immediately address the social and economic consequences of the pandemic, ADB is proposing several special policy variations and response measures to support activities that respond directly to, or address the economic impacts of, the COVID-19 pandemic. An ADB Policy paper.