Common use of Background Clause in Contracts

Background. The Regional Surveillance Systems Enhancement Project IV (REDISSE IV or R4-CA) is a World Bank (WB) funded project focusing on countries in Central Africa to address systemic weaknesses in their emergency preparedness and response systems. RE▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ (R4) represents the fourth iteration of this project and involves five African countries (Angola, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, and Central African Republic), with a total estimated population of 192 million. The Central African region is disaster-prone, having been besieged by natural and man-made disasters over the years such as civil wars, landslides, disease epidemics (i.e. Ebola, malaria, avian influenza, chikungunya, Marburg hemorrhagic fever, and yellow fever), and further exacerbated by poor education levels, weak socioeconomic conditions, high gender disparities, ineffective communication, and lack of availability of quality health services. Because of the low levels of investment in infrastructure and limited development, most citizens of these countries find themselves on the wrong side of the human-animal- ecosystem interface, where they are amenable to the spread of diseases in the absence of well- functioning and coordinated health systems. The R4-CA is multisectoral project, using a “One Health” approach to assist countries to prevent, detect and respond to disease threats both individually and through regional collaboration and collective action that involve 11 countries from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) who exhibit similar traits in terms of lack of investment in infrastructure owing to the civil wars and other types of disasters they have been subjected to over the years. The ECCAS also faces poor vaccination records, and limited coordination between the health sectors of the different countries, making the implementation of control programmes very difficult (Agu, Correia, & Behbehani, Strengthening international health co-operation in Africa through the regional economic communities., 2007). The R4-CA project will ensure that there is strong collaboration between the Central African countries in establishing and maintaining a coordinated approach to detecting and swiftly responding to disease outbreaks and public health threats of regional and international consequence. This report is based on a desk review of key sources including gray literature from various WB reports and instruments, including environmental and social standards (ESS) that informed past REDISSE programs; review of the epidemiological situation in the western and ECCAS. It used secondary information analysis of official national data on health and environment in force in Angola. To validate the results and understanding of the REDISSE IV priorities in Angola, interviews and consultations were carried out with interested parties, including representatives of the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Environment (MINAMB portuguese acronym) and other sectors of the Government and Partners. In line with the WB’s ESS, the GoA promoted the development of series of environment and social tools with the aim of establishing procedures for initial screening of project’s impacts which would require attention, prior to site-specific project implementation. Key specific objectives of the assessment are: ▪ To assess the main potential environmental and social impacts of the planned and future project activities. ▪ To recommend environmental and social screening process for project sites and sub-project activities. ▪ To review environmental policies of GoA for project implementation and relevant WB ESS and procedures to be triggered by the project. ▪ To develop an environmental management plan (EMP) for addressing negative impacts during sub- project implementation. ▪ To recommend appropriate further environmental work, including preparation of the site-specific ESIAs/ESMPs for sub-projects; and ▪ To recommend appropriate capacity building for environmental planning and monitoring in the project activities. The ESMF outlines an environmental and social screening procedure, focusing on the following steps: ▪ determination of sub-projects eligibility for financing (considering a negative list of activities); ▪ completion of the Environmental and Social Screening Form (ESSF); ▪ carrying out the appropriate level of environmental and social work; ▪ review and clearance of the screening results; ▪ preparation of EIA reports, where this may be necessary; and ▪ preparation of Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP). Environmental and Social Screening should be undertaken for each of the proposed sub-project in order to ascertain specific environmental and social impacts. Environmental and social management plans will be prepared to identify, assess, and mitigate, as appropriate, all potential negative impacts. This ESMF is developed according to the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), and consists of the following complementary tools, Health Waste and Health Services Waste Management Plan (HWHSWMP), a Gender-Based Violence Risk Assessment (GBVRA) and SEA/SH Prevention, Mitigation and Response Action Plan for the project, a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Labour Management Procedures (LMP) and an Ethnolinguistic Minorities Planning Framework.

Background. The Regional Surveillance Systems Enhancement Project IV (REDISSE IV or R4-CA) is a World Bank (WB) funded project focusing on countries in Central Africa to address systemic weaknesses in their emergency preparedness and response systems. RE▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ (R4) represents the fourth iteration of this project and involves five African countries (Angola, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, and Central African Republic), with a total estimated population of 192 million. The Central African region is disaster-prone, having been besieged by natural and man-made disasters over the years such as civil wars, landslides, disease epidemics (i.e. Ebola, malaria, avian influenza, chikungunya, Marburg hemorrhagic fever, and yellow fever), and further exacerbated by poor education levels, weak socioeconomic conditions, high gender disparities, ineffective communication, and lack of availability of quality health services. Because of the low levels of investment in infrastructure and limited development, most citizens of these countries find themselves on the wrong side of the human-animal- ecosystem interface, where they are amenable to the spread of diseases in the absence of well- functioning and coordinated health systems. The R4-CA is multisectoral project, using a “One Health” approach to assist countries to prevent, detect and respond to disease threats both individually and through regional collaboration and collective action that involve 11 countries from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) who exhibit similar traits in terms of lack of investment in infrastructure owing to the civil wars and other types of disasters they have been subjected to over the years. The ECCAS also faces poor vaccination records, and limited coordination between the health sectors of the different countries, making the implementation of control programmes very difficult (Agu, Correia, & Behbehani, Strengthening international health co-operation in Africa through the regional economic communities., 2007). The R4-CA project will ensure that there is strong collaboration between the Central African countries in establishing and maintaining a coordinated approach to detecting and swiftly responding to disease outbreaks and public health threats of regional and international consequence. This report is based on a desk review of key sources including gray literature from various WB reports and instruments, including environmental and social standards (ESS) that informed past REDISSE programs; review of the epidemiological situation in the western and ECCAS. It used secondary information analysis of official national data on health and environment in force in Angola. To validate the results and understanding of the REDISSE IV priorities in Angola, interviews and consultations were carried out with interested parties, including representatives of the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Environment (MINAMB portuguese acronym) and other sectors of the Government and Partners. In line with the WB’s ESS, the GoA promoted the development of series of environment and social tools with the aim of establishing procedures for initial screening of project’s impacts which would require attention, prior to site-specific project implementation. Key specific objectives of the assessment are: ▪ To assess the main potential environmental and social impacts of the planned and future project activities. ▪ To recommend environmental and social screening process for project sites and sub-project activities. ▪ To review environmental policies of GoA for project implementation and relevant WB ESS and procedures to be triggered by the project. ▪ To develop an environmental management plan (EMP) for addressing negative impacts during sub- project implementation. ▪ To recommend appropriate further environmental work, including preparation of the site-specific ESIAs/ESMPs for sub-projects; and ▪ To recommend appropriate capacity building for environmental planning and monitoring in the project activities. The ESMF outlines an environmental and social screening procedure, focusing on the following steps: ▪ determination of sub-projects eligibility for financing (considering a negative list of activities); ▪ completion of the Environmental and Social Screening Form (ESSF); ▪ carrying out the appropriate level of environmental and social work; ▪ review and clearance of the screening results; ▪ preparation of EIA reports, where this may be necessary; and ▪ preparation of Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP). Environmental and Social Screening should be undertaken for each of the proposed sub-project in order to ascertain specific environmental and social impacts. Environmental and social management plans will be prepared to identify, assess, and mitigate, as appropriate, all potential negative impacts. This ESMF is developed according to the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), and consists of the following complementary tools, Health Waste and Health Services Waste Management Plan (HWHSWMP), a Gender-Based Violence Risk Assessment (GBVRA) and SEA/SH Prevention, Mitigation and Response Action Plan for the project, a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Labour Management Procedures (LMP) and an Ethnolinguistic Minorities Planning Framework.