Washington, D.C., January 31, 2019.- The World Bank Board of Directors approved a US$ 125 million loan to finance the Integrated Health Networks Project in Peru, today. This initiative will benefit 20.3 million people who have no public or private healthcare coverage.
Between 2000 and 2015, government health spending in Peru rose from 2.3 percent to 3.2 percent of GDP (from US$ 123 to US$ 414 per capita). Despite the advances, the geographic, administrative and infrastructural fragmentation of public health services must still be resolved. Additionally, demographic and epidemiological transitions have increased demand for treatment of chronic, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. This requires primary care health services that serve adults and the elderly, in addition to the maternal-child population.
“Covering the social investment deficit not only implies increasing public budgets, but also changing the care model to one that focuses on the individual throughout the lifecycle and that provides care through an integrated system of services,” said Alberto Rodríguez, World Bank Director for Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru.
The Ministry of Health has developed a model based on this perspective, which is implemented by its National Health Investment Program (PRONIS). The World Bank will finance four components of the program. The first is the improvement and appropriate design of the model to organize healthcare service providers in integrated health networks in Metropolitan Lima and prioritized regions. This entails the strengthening of clinical practice manuals, the implementation of a plan to develop the skills of healthcare personnel and the redesign of the care model with an emphasis on the new burden of disease, which facilitates care of patients according to the level of medical complexity.
The second component covers the improvement and adequate supply of primary healthcare providers to reach an adequate level of infrastructure, equipment and human capacity for the health intervention.
The third component focuses on improving information management and processes through the creation of the single health information system nationwide, which will provide, among other benefits, the first National Registry of Electronic Health Records, a crucial resource to reduce waiting times for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of medical conditions. Finally, the fourth component will finance the improved management of the distribution chain of pharmaceutical products and medical devices.
The government will invest US$ 315.65 million in this program, of which US$ 65.65 million will be covered by the public budget while the World Bank will finance US$ 125 million and the Inter-American Development Bank will provide a similar amount.
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