Synopsis
World Bank Group (WBG) supported health projects in Mozambique, Indonesia, Côte d’Ivoire and Argentina as well as across the Latin American region, have expanded access to care, improved health outcomes, and created jobs. Millions of households benefited, and the expansion of health services directly supported job creation through increased demand for skilled health workers, alongside broader insurance coverage. Health sector investments also generate indirect employment across industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical technology, digital health, and support services. Women and youth employment were prioritized, driving inclusive growth.
Challenge
Investing in health drives economic growth, productivity and job creation. Strong health systems build human capital, strengthen resilience and support inclusive growth. Yet the global gap remains wide: 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services and 2 billion face financial hardship due to health spending. Demographic change, the rise of noncommunicable diseases, budget constraints and declining aid are increasing demand amid shrinking resources. Meeting these challenges requires a fundamental shift in how health systems are financed, organized, and deliver high-quality, affordable services.
WBG Approach
In Mozambique, the Program-for-Results model incentivized delivery of a package of primary healthcare services and introduced quality of care performance scorecards. Training for community health workers was provided to boost retention and professional growth.
In Indonesia, the WBG-supported multisectoral nutrition programs and health insurance reforms, along with their work on reducing stunting, are expected to yield significant human capital gains and support better jobs over the life cycle. Early childhood nutrition interventions can increase adult wages by up to 46 percent, particularly when provided before age three.
A combination of WBG instruments supported Côte d’Ivoire to scale up health insurance and created thousands of jobs. Partnerships with private sector actors have amplified impact, leveraging innovation and digital solutions for resilient health systems.
The Plan Nacer in Argentina—implemented through a government–World Bank partnership—allowed a more targeted approach to healthcare financing, giving health facilities greater flexibility while improving service quality and supporting jobs in health service delivery.
IFC mobilizes private capital and provides advisory services to strengthen private health companies in emerging markets, improving quality, efficiency, and access to health services and products. By investing in private healthcare companies, IFC adds essential capacity and innovation while supporting employment across health services, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical equipment manufacturing and digital health technology.
Results
- The World Bank efforts to support Mozambique’s healthcare system significantly expanded its health services between 2018 and 2023: A new bill—National Health System Law—has been recently approved by Congress, formalizing the community health care worker careers and doubling the workforce from 3,380 to 8,300. Technical staff assigned to primary care grew by one-third to more than 22,000. Household access to health services rose from 1.7 million to 3.6 million, and nearly 6 million skilled deliveries were facilitated between 2017-2022.
- In Indonesia, a multisectoral nutrition program phase 1 and phase 2 is part of a broader health system effort, supported by reforms that expanded health insurance coverage to 98% of the population. Over the past five years, the country reduced stunting by about 10 percentage points, with community-level engagement—including the training of thousands of volunteers—strengthening human capital, future productivity, and the country’s long-term jobs and growth potential.
- Following World Bank programs, the enrollment in Côte d’Ivoire’s National Health Insurance rose from 10% to 62% in two years, creating over 10,000 direct jobs. As an indirect result, thousands of health workers are also being trained and hired to ensure that supply can catch up with the now heavily subsidized demand.
- In Argentina, the Plan Nacer program expanded access to health care for women and children, while creating jobs within the public health system, resulting in around 8 million people benefiting from at least one quality service per year. By prioritizing preventive care, it reduced costly diseases and generated savings for the health sector.
- In 2025, overall, IFC health investments reached 68.3 million people with improved access to health, by investing in private health sectors, supporting hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and medical device manufacturers.
- In Colombia and Mexico, as well as across Central America, the IFC Roemmers project strengthens regional pharmaceutical manufacturing to expand access to affordable generic medicines, reduce import dependence, improve sector efficiency, boost market supply, and create skilled employment opportunities. In FY25, the project supported more than 1,650 jobs, reaching an estimated additional 790,000 people.
Contribution to WBG Targets and Jobs
World Bank Group projects across the world have delivered quality, affordable health services to 466.8 million people since 2024 and contributed to the goal of reaching 1.5 billion people by 2030. Investments in health have created direct and indirect jobs, especially for women and youth. In countries with health operations, health sector expansion has generated thousands of new jobs and improved livelihoods. Between 2020 and 2024, IFC’s health investment portfolio supported an average of 235,000 jobs per year, with more than 230 private hospitals that worked with IFC’s Healthcare Quality advisory program to analyze and improve their quality-of-care standards, strengthening services for more than 2 million patients.
