The Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia-Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided the Government of Sri Lanka with immediate and flexible financing to implement projects activities through APVAX and from the regular country allocation. The APVAX allocation comprises of a Rapid Response Component (RRC) to support the purchase of ADB eligible coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines, while the regular country allocation under the Project Investment Component (PIC) supports strengthening the vaccine information management system; physical infrastructure for vaccine delivery including transportation; and investments in systems for vaccine related medical waste management.

Financial component of the project is $161.85 million, comprising $84 million under APVAX and $66 million from the regular country allocation, to meet the cost of vaccines for 18.2% of the population, and also to support vaccine related monitoring systems, cold chain related transport facilities, activities to ensure gender equity and inclusivity, and to strengthen medical waste management related to COVID-19 and vaccination program.

The project supports the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure COVID-19 vaccine access to the population to curtail the pandemic, minimize the socioeconomic and health effects that result from it, and initiate the robust economic recovery process. The project is targeting the entire country across all 26 health districts in all nine provinces while ensuring that the geographically, socially, and economically deprived populations are protected from COVID- 19 and its effects. The beneficiary population of the project is the total population of 22 million.