WASHINGTON, DC, December 7, 2010 – The World Bank approved a US$11 million grant and a US$10 million loan today to improve family and community health care in rural areas. These funds will strengthen operational capacity to expand the Health Ministry’s health service coverage, rehabilitate health units and create a financial support fund in case of a public health emergency.
The Improving Community and Family Health Care Services Project focuses on 32 municipalities belonging to Local Integrated Health Care Systems (SILAIS, in Spanish) in Chinandega, Leon, Managua, Boaco, Chontales, RAAS, Rio San Juan and Alto Wangki and Bocay indigenous territory.
“This project will benefit approximately 625,000 inhabitants in these municipalities, whose populations have been identified as the most vulnerable and where the capacity of health services must continue to be strengthened in order to develop preventive care and health promotion,” said Camille Nuamah, World Bank Resident Representative in Nicaragua.
The main objectives of this program are:
- To provide preventive and health promotion services through municipal health care service networks.
- Improve the Health Ministry’s capacity to manage, monitor and assess the key functions of health care services and their response capacity in case of a public health emergency.
- Strengthen project monitoring and follow-up mechanisms through a concurrent technical audit.
