The United Nations and the government of Cape Verde have validated a joint roadmap valued at $23 million for 2021, we learned.

The plan aligns with the cooperation dialog for sustainable development, which is an initiative that gathers the country’s key partners to discuss progress, challenges, and development issues.

Ana Graça, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cape Verde, said part of the financing (about $19 million) has already been made available to the country. The remaining amount will be mobilized from partners. "The strength of all the partners and the increase in solidarity are important because the pandemic has had dramatic effects around the world," she said, according to comments reported by Xinhua.

The signing of the joint work plan should enable the rollout of various sustainable development projects in Cape Verde. Particular focus is on education, health, and social protection, child protection, and gender equality.

The UN’s priority is to help Cape Verde better deal with the pandemic’s economic, social, and health fallouts. The country has recorded 15,400 cases so far with 147 deaths.

Strategies are already underway to acquire doses of the Covid-19 vaccines. Let's note that the UN initiative will ultimately help the country strengthen its healthcare system.