The FINANCIAL — The World Bank on June 30 approved Health Service Delivery and System Support Project to support Sierra Leone’s Health Sector.
The project will contribute to the flagship programs in the Government’s Health Sector Recovery Plan and will support the Government’s objective of increasing the utilization and improving the quality of essential maternal and child health services. In the event of an eligible crisis or emergency, it will provide immediate and effective response.
The project –– of a total funding of $15.5 million will be co-financed through an International Development Association credit of $10 million and a $5.5 million grant from the Ebola Recovery and Reconstruction Trust Fund. It will be implemented over a three-year period, according to the World Bank.
“The project will help address the immediate aftermath of the Ebola epidemic, strengthen the health system and improve health outcomes which are currently worse than in countries with comparable socio-economic characteristics and health spending,” said Henry Kerali, World Bank Country Director for Sierra Leone.
Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Sierra Leone has experienced a period of rapid growth due to political stability and the return of large numbers of the population to agriculture and related activities, which, in turn, led to a Gross Domestic Product (GPD) increase through 2010. Nevertheless, Sierra Leone regularly places at the bottom of global rankings, which is a result of limited physical and financial access to health care services and limited health human resources.
“This project will directly support the rebuilding of the Government health system from the bottom up. Working with and through government institutions it will help in restoring health sector delivery and building a robust health care system that is resilient and strengthened to ward off emergencies and recurring tropical diseases, thus contributing to reducing maternal, new born, and child mortality and morbidity,” said Parminder Brar, World Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone.
The project is complementary to ongoing efforts and will be coordinated closely with key development partners that are currently actively engaged in the post-Ebola planning and implementation process.
Combined with the ongoing Emergency Ebola Response Project, this credit includes both an evolving response to the lingering effects of the Ebola outbreak on health service delivery as well as complementary investments for the future development of Sierra Leone’s health sector to strengthen resilience and capacity in case of future emergencies.
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