World Bank approves new loan for Bangladesh health sector

The World Bank has approved $150 million in additional financing to, as the global lender says, help strengthen Bangladesh’s health systems and improve health services, particularly for the poor.

This additional financing to the ‘Health Sector Development Programme’ will continue support to implement the government’s pogrammes.

A World Bank representative said on Sunday that the support would help the government address health sector challenges, “including sustaining and improving immunisation coverage; further improving deliveries for pregnant women at public health facilities; and tackling multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.”

The financing will also help Bangladesh improve public financial management to get more value from its public spending on health.

This will also support developing a robust health information system, including -- for the first time in Bangladesh -- a web-based complaint-handling mechanism.

With this additional financing, the World Bank’s support to the project now stands at $508.9 million.

The credit from the World Bank’s International Development Association has a 38-year term, including a six-year grace period, and a service charge of 0.75 percent.

The additional financing will disburse funds against the achievements of agreed results corresponding to the challenges and priority areas.

“Bangladesh’s progress in improving health outcomes is remarkable. The country is globally recognised for improving maternal and child health and family planning. Yet many Bangladeshis struggle to access quality health services, costing the economy millions of dollars in days lost due to poor health,” Qimiao Fan, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, was quoted as saying in a statement.