The World Bank has issued a statement on the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, urging all countries to strengthen their health surveillance and response systems, saying it is essential to containing the spread of this and any future outbreaks.

The Monday statement also said the World Bank Group is reviewing financial and technical resources that can be mobilized quickly to support the affected countries and assist the life-saving work underway to stop the transmission and mitigate the impact of this virus.

The World Bank also said it is monitoring the wider economic and social impacts of the crisis and supports China’s efforts to respond and maintain resilience in its economy. 

It said that it recognizes it is the poorest countries and most vulnerable populations that are often hardest hit by global disruptions. The bank then vowed to support all its client countries in managing the widening impact of this crisis.