African Development Bank announces measures to curb coronavirus

The African Development Bank (AfDB) on Wednesday announced health and safety measures to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus in countries where the bank has a presence, including its headquarters in Abidjan.

The measures include telecommuting, video conferencing in lieu of physical meetings, the suspension of visits to bank buildings, and the cancellation of all travel, meetings, and conferences, until further notice.

Bank President Akinwumi Adesina made the announcements at a Bank-wide virtual town hall meeting from Abidjan. He stated that the measures were being taken in the best interest of public health and safety.

“My primary responsibility is to you, to make sure you are safe, to make sure your families are safe, to make sure you can function where you are under the best possible conditions health and security wise,” Adesina said.

Adesina said all efforts are being made to ensure continuity of the Bank's operations including electronic documentation and approvals.

All Bank staff worked from home on Wednesday to test-run IT systems, according to a statement issued by the AfDB.

It said the Bank has already taken several other steps to counter an escalation of the virus, including a 14-day self-quarantine for employees returning from high-risk countries.

Other multilateral institutions in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. have taken similar actions to prevent the spread of the virus.

The Bank’s statement said since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in December 2019, the Bank has closely monitored the situation through its medical center, emergency management team, and its operational and executive crisis committees. “Staff have regularly been provided with medical guidance and preventive measures are in place to protect staff and families from contamination by the virus.”

It said a three-level COVID-19 response plan has also been developed to avert, manage and mitigate the effect of the pandemic on Bank’s staff and their families, while ensuring business continuity in the event of an escalation of the situation on the continent.

“Please do not panic. Measures are being taken. The situation deserves that we change how we work and where we work from,” Adesina said.

The statement said the Bank's Board of Directors is reviewing the configuration and design of the Bank's statutory Annual Meetings originally scheduled for May 26-29, 2020 in Abidjan.