Credit Also Fights TB, Malaria and HIV/AIDS
WASHINGTON, April 2, 2013 – A new project designed to improve the coverage and quality of healthcare in Djibouti will reach 300,000 people, mostly women. The US$7.0 million credit approved by the World Bank today will assist Djibouti in its efforts to deliver better maternal and child healthcare services and improved communicable disease control programs (HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria).
While Djibouti has made considerable improvements to the delivery of health services, the availability of medicine, and the management capacity of the sector over the past decade, much remains to be done. The country’s health indicators are among the lowest in the world and Djibouti may not achieve the targets of the health-related Millennium Development Goals.
The new project, Improving the Health Sector Performance, is aligned with the Government of Djibouti’s Vision 2035, a development plan that will be the basis for the upcoming World Bank Country Partnership Strategy. Project design has drawn on the lessons learned from previous World Bank-financed health projects and will also be balanced with what other development partners are doing in support of the government’s efforts.
“This project continues our support to Djibouti’s Initiative for Social Development which is committed to better healthcare services,” said Homa-Zahra Fotouhi, World Bank Representative in Djibouti. “These important efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality and combat communicable diseases will also contribute towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.”
Using a system of financial rewards, the project is designed to encourage healthcare providers and their support staff in delivering both more and better services to communities. The expected increase in performance will improve the quality and quantity of services provided to pregnant women, infants and children, and to programs focused on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria prevention and treatment.
“The project puts results at the very heart of the design,” said Sami Ali, World Bank Project Team Leader. “Healthcare facilities will be given financial incentives as productivity increases and quality of care improves.”
Communities will also be given a voice in planning, managing and defining their health needs through the establishment of local health community management committees, added Ali.
This project is financed by the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) which was established in 1960 to help the world’s poorest countries by providing interest-free loans (called ‘credits’) and grants that fund projects to boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 81 poorest countries. Resources from IDA bring positive change to 2.5 billion people living on less than $2 a day. Since 1960 IDA has supported development work in 108 countries. Annual commitments have increased steadily and averaged around $15 billion over the last 3 years.
