Washington: The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved two complementary loans of $500 million each to support and enhance India’s health sector. Through this combined financing of $1 billion, the World Bank will support India’s flagship Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), launched in October 2021, to improve the public healthcare infrastructure across the country. In addition to the national level interventions, one of the loans will prioritize seven states including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
India’s performance in health has improved over time. According to the World Bank estimates, India’s life expectancy—at 69.8 in 2020, up from 58 in 1990—is higher than the average for the country’s income level. The under-five mortality rate (36 per 1,000 live births), infant mortality rate (30 per 1,000 live births), and maternal mortality ratio (103 per 100,000 live births) are all close to the average for India’s income level, reflecting significant achievements in access to skilled birth attendance, immunizations, and other priority services.
Despite these advances in the health of the Indian population, Covid-19 has underscored the need for revitalizing, reforming, and developing capacity for core public health functions, as well as for improving the quality and comprehensiveness of health service delivery. “The COVID-19 outbreak has re-emphasized the urgency for significant reforms to improve health sector performance in India,” said Hideki Mori, the World Bank’s Acting Country Director for India.
The two loans, Public Health Systems for Pandemic Preparedness Program (PHSPP) and Enhanced Health Service Delivery Program (EHSDP), are designed to be complementary and transformational in impact, supporting the Government of India’s reform agenda to accelerate universal coverage, improve quality, and increase the resilience and preparedness of India’s health system.
“The two Programs leverage the unique strengths of both the centre and the states to support the development of more accessible, high-quality, and affordable health services,” said Lynne Sherburne-Benz, the World Bank’s South Asia Regional Director for Human Development. “This strengthening of health systems, combined with attention to strong disease response, will improve preparedness and response to future disease outbreaks." /BI/
