WASHINGTON, May 11, 2015—The World Bank today announced an additional US$7 million grant for the continuation of its Improving Health Sector Performance Project in Djibouti. Since its approval in April 2013, the existing program has provided improved health services to 171,222 beneficiaries in Djibouti-ville, Ali-Sabieh and Tadjoura. With incentives to increase access and quality, the program has supported improvements in services for maternal and child health and communicable disease control programs (HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis). The additional financing will allow the program to reach all of Djibouti, including the rural and remote areas of the country.
The program is performance-based, whereby funds are disbursed directly to health care providers based on the number and quality of services delivered. The aim of this design is to encourage healthcare service providers to improve child health services such as immunization, management of childhood illnesses, and treatment of malnutrition. In addition, there is a focus on maternal health services such as prenatal care, family planning, and skilled birth attendance. Finally, another goal is the strengthening of the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
“The Djibouti Improving Health Sector Performance Project is the first Performance Based Financing project in the Middle East and North Africa region,” said Homa-Zahra Fotouhi, World Bank Resident Representative in Djibouti “This project is contributing to one of Djibouti’s national priorities of lowering the maternal and child mortality rates. ”
The new grant is financed from the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Health Results Innovation (HRITF) and complements the first phase of the project which was financed through a US$7 million credit from IDA, the World Bank’s arm for the poorest countries. The project is implemented by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with public health facilities.
“The expansion of appropriate pre- and post-natal care and skilled attended deliveries is essential for tackling maternal deaths and child mortality,” said Emre Özaltın, World Bank Task Team Leader for the program. “By giving health providers the tools to improve their services while trusting them to know how to best manage their own facilities and at the same time strengthening stewardship capacity at the Ministry of Health, this project is supporting the Government’s strategy to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities in Djibouti.”
The Djibouti IDA portfolio consists of seven projects with a net commitment of about US$45 million—complemented by Trust Funds of about US$19 million—in a range of sectors, including health, education, social safety nets, energy, disaster risk management, urban development, rural development, and private sector development.
