World Bank pandemic bonds will funnel $196 million to 64 poor countries

LONDON (Reuters) - A World Bank pandemic funding programme will see $195.84 million (157.78 million pounds) distributed as soon as next week among 64 of the world's poorest countries that have reported cases of COVID-19 to help tackle the fast-spreading disease, the lender said on Monday.The World Bank launched a number of instruments under its Pandemic Emergency Financing (PEF) programme after the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia that killed at least 11,300 people..