The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will provide a sovereign guarantee loan of RMB 2,485 million for the Chinese government in strengthening sustainable public health infrastructure and purchasing medical equipment and supplies for emergency use, according to Chongqing Finance Bureau on April 8.

The AIIB Board of Directors approved the emergency loan to China, for the prevention and control of COVID-19 and the enhancement of Beijing’s and Chongqing’s capacities of responding to public health emergencies and emergent epidemic situation, and of their sustainable construction of public health infrastructure and systems. Chongqing alone will receive RMB 1.4 billion.

According to a relevant person from Chongqing Finance Bureau, the city will improve its public health emergency prevention and control system, and with the RMB 1.4 billion from the AIIB, purchase the prevention and control materials against COVID-19 and related medical equipment and disease detection and inspection equipment, and transform the treatment facilities against infectious diseases in the medical institutions. The public health capacity improvement project will be done within this year, including the construction of the disease control systems at the municipal, regional, and district/county levels. Also, key personnel in field epidemiological investigation, contagion, respiratory medicine, and inspection and testing at disease control institutions will be trained to improve their expertise and abilities in epidemic prevention and control and medical treatment.