The World Bank and the Global Financing Facility Invest $55 Million to Improve the Health of Women and Children in Guinea

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2018 – The World Bank approved $55 million in funding to improve the health of women and children in Kindia and Kankan, two of Guinea’s poorest regions. The Guinea Health Service and Capacity Strengthening Project will help improve the Government of Guinea’s capacity to sustainably finance and plan for the health of its people.

In particular, women and children (especially pregnant women and children under 5) who depend on primary health services at the community level, health centers, and district hospitals will benefit from the project.

“The regions of Kankan and Kindia have a particularly large financing gap for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, and the investments of the Bank through this project would help reduce this gap significantly,” said Rachidi Radji, World Bank Country Manager for Guinea.

Guinea, a country that is still recovering from the recent Ebola crisis, has some of the most challenging maternal and child health indicators globally, particularly in remote parts of the country.

“The sheer scale of the Ebola epidemic had collapsed the health system in Guinea, and the capacity to treat even basic illness continues to remain limited,” said Ibrahim Magazi, one of the two Task Team Leaders of the project.

“By strengthening basic health service delivery and investing in outcome-orientated interventions that are targeted to local needs, the project will contribute to improving the reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health outcomes of the population in Guinea,” said Christopher H. Herbst, co-Task Team Leader of the project.

Interventions under the project remain consistent with, and aligned with, the strategic area of the World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Strategy, which emphasizes the need to improve human development indicators in Guinea and covers basic education, social protection, and health. In addition, the project helps support the Government of Guinea’s National Health Plan 2015‐2024 (Plan National de Développement de la Santé).

“The Government of Guinea is building a more resilient health system that will make it possible for every woman, child and adolescent to access the care they need,” said Mariam Claeson, Director of the Global Financing Facility (GFF). “The GFF is proud to provide funding that will support Guinea’s health needs today—and in the future.

The project financing includes a $22.5 million International Development Association (IDA)* credit, a $22.5 million IDA grant and a $10 million grant from the GFF, which will help to strengthen capacity in health financing, planning and evidence-based decision-making. By linking a performance-based financing pilot to health financing technical assistance, and by strengthening the health management information system, the GFF aims to drive progress towards a more sustainable and efficient health system that will be able to deliver on the Government of Guinea’s ambitious health sector plan.

About IDA

The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 75 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.5 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 113 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $18 billion over the last three years, with about 54 percent going to Africa.

About GFF

The Global Financing Facility (GFF) is a multi-stakeholder partnership that is helping countries tackle the greatest health and nutrition issues affecting women, children and adolescents. The GFF brings governments and partners together around a country-led plan, prioritizing high-impact but underinvested areas of health. The GFF Trust Fund acts as a catalyst for financing, with countries using modest GFF Trust Fund grants to significantly increase their domestic resources alongside the World Bank’s IDA and IBRD financing, aligned external financing, and private sector resources. Each relatively small external investment is multiplied by countries’ own commitments—generating a large return on investment, ultimately saving and improving lives.