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Half the world lacks access to basic health care. This isn’t just a health crisis. It’s a threat to global productivity and shared prosperity.
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The World Bank Group aims to reach 1.5 billion people with quality, affordable health care by 2030.
Healthy people are the backbone of a strong workforce and a growing economy. Yet in many parts of the world, a visit to a health clinic is unreliable.
The lights may be out. Medicines may be unavailable. And the cost of care can force families to choose between care and food.
When health systems fall short, mothers and babies are at risk, children fall behind in school, and adults can’t work.
That’s why the World Bank Group is helping countries build health systems that truly work for people and for economies.
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Expanding access to care
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Expanding access to care
Indonesia’s Health Systems Strengthening Project is expanding access to quality care for 284 million people, including in remote regions like Papua. Supported by the World Bank Group and partner development banks, the project is equipping more than 300,000 public health facilities with life-saving technologies and improving maternal, child, and chronic disease care.
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Empowering health leaders
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Empowering health leaders
Samoa is taking a community-led approach to prevention and care. With support from the World Bank Group and partners, Village Women’s Committees are being empowered to help prevent, detect, and manage obesity, hypertension, and diabetes locally, strengthening community health.
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Financing healthy futures
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Financing healthy futures
Through an Early Childhood Development Project supported by the World Bank Group, families with young children are receiving direct cash transfers alongside health, nutrition, and early learning support. For people like Janet, Takjo, Tora and their families, the project is making a real difference today. For their communities, it's building a healthier future.
Global health by the numbers
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people can’t afford the cost of care
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jobs in other sectors generated for every health job
575M
people reached with essential health services since 2024
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How we’re reaching our goal
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We’re turning health into a foundation for opportunity, backed by country leadership, strong partnerships, smart financing, and real-world action.
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Here's what we're achieving together:
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Health across generations
Maternal care, child health, and healthy aging.
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Health across generations
We help countries build health systems that protect people throughout their lives. In Indonesia, investments in maternal nutrition and child health helped cut stunting by nearly 10 percentage points, while expanded health insurance now reaches almost the entire population. In Argentina, integrated health networks and digital health records are improving access to preventive and chronic care. These big-picture changes deliver better health today and tomorrow.
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Health close to home
Local services, community-led care, full-service clinics.
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Health close to home
Our projects bring care closer to where people live. In Bangladesh, upgraded facilities in remote Moheshkhali now offer operating rooms, delivery units, and neonatal care, reducing the need for long and costly travel. In Samoa, Village Women’s Committees are helping prevent and manage non-communicable diseases locally, supporting early detection and ongoing care within communities. These approaches make health services more accessible, trusted, and timely.
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Health made more affordable
Subsidize care, lower health costs, financial protection.
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Health made more affordable
To protect families from high health costs, we support programs that reduce or remove fees for essential services. In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the STAR-Est Project provides free medical and psychosocial care to survivors of gender-based violence, reaching more than 7,000 people in just five months. These investments help ensure cost is not a barrier to care.
Beatrice Njoroge
Neonatal Nurse, Kenya
"If you [support mothers], a healthy baby will come out to be a healthy person who will build a healthy nation.”
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Health Works in action
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Worldwide, we’re building health systems that support jobs, grow economies, and improve lives.
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Argentina
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Argentina
An integrated health care network is modernizing care in vulnerable communities across Buenos Aires Province. By digitizing health records in 150+ hospitals and clinics and expanding telemedicine, the program improves access to care while supporting new jobs.
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Armenia
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Armenia
In Armenia, non-communicable diseases are the leading causes of illness and death. Through the Disease Prevention and Control Project, investments have improved early detection, modernized six major medical facilities, and expanded local treatment options.
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Bangladesh
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Bangladesh
The Health and Gender Support Project is transforming health care infrastructure in remote Moheshkhali. Clinics have been upgraded with operating rooms, delivery units, and neonatal equipment, delivering care even in hard-to-reach areas.
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Democratic Republic of Congo
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Democratic Republic of Congo
Through the DRC Health Emergency Preparedness Response and Resilience Project, the DRC is rolling out HPV vaccination and preventive screening efforts. The program has already increased vaccine coverage from 14% in 2023 to 85% in 2024.
The World Bank Group has been a long-term partner in building health emergency infrastructure in the country.
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Djibouti
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Djibouti
The Improving Inclusion of Vulnerable Children with Disabilities Project is helping Djibouti strengthen health, education, and social services for children with disabilities. The project is expected to benefit more than 5,000 children with disabilities.
How do we make health systems work for people everywhere?
Progress happens country by country, but our core principles are universal.
Plans are anchored in political and fiscal reality
National Health Compacts are not standalone projects or donor wish lists. They are five-year, government-owned reform agreements, anchored in national budgets and priorities. Each compact identifies a small set of binding reforms that governments commit to implementing across administrations.
Funding supports reforms
Health Works shifts the focus from funding individual inputs (clinics, equipment) to financing systems-level change. Funding supports reforms that protect families from high medical bills and reduce costs at the point of care.
One compact, many partners
Health Works provides a single platform where development banks, donors, and the private sector can align behind the same reform agenda. Instead of fragmented projects, partners co-finance shared priorities.
Results are clearly measured
Progress under Health Works is tracked through clear system indicators such as coverage of primary care, financial protection, workforce density, service readiness, and efficiency. This allows governments and partners to course-correct and scale what works.
Shared principles, local context
Health Works does not rely on a single global blueprint. Instead, it builds a portfolio of country reforms, each adapted to local context but grounded in shared principles. For investors, this offers repeatable impacts with flexibility, not one-off bets.
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Investing in health creates jobs
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We mobilize private investment in health through the International Finance Corporation (IFC), our private sector arm. Through IFC, we’ve invested over $9B in the businesses and services people rely on every day, driving job creation and economic growth in 100+ communities.
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Read the Story
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Partnering to make health work
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Working side by side, country by country, and person by person, we’re bringing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) within reach.
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COUNTRIES & THE WORLD BANK GROUP
National Health Compacts
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COUNTRIES & THE WORLD BANK GROUP
National Health Compacts
We partner with countries to prepare National Health Compacts: five-year roadmaps that set health priorities and investment needs. Clear, time-bound goals keep partners aligned and focused on delivering results.
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GOVERNMENTS & GLOBAL AGENCIES
The Health Works Leaders Coalition
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GOVERNMENTS & GLOBAL AGENCIES
The Health Works Leaders Coalition
We’re partnering with the World Health Organization to bring leaders from around the world together to push for better care. The Coalition built momentum through 2025, driving ambition, advocacy, and action ahead of the UHC High-Level Forum in Japan.
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HEALTH & FINANCE LEADERS
The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Knowledge Hub
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GOVERNMENTS & GLOBAL AGENCIES
The Health Works Leaders Coalition
We’re partnering with the World Health Organization to bring leaders from around the world together to push for better care. The Coalition built momentum through 2025, driving ambition, advocacy, and action ahead of the UHC High-Level Forum in Japan.
Ajay Banga
President, World Bank Group
“Strong primary health systems do more than safeguard health. They support jobs and economic opportunity.”
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Stay involved
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Explore the everyday stories, data, and partnerships behind Health Works, and find out how progress is taking shape across countries.
Resources
Partnerships
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For Health Works inquiries
Contact Us
Elizabeth Price
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Why #InvestInHealth?
Share your story or post from our Trello board.
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