WB okays $150m for heath sector dev
UNB
The World Bank has approved US$ 150 million in additional financing to help Bangladesh strengthen its health system and improve healthcare services, particularly for the poor, reports UNB. This additional financing to the Health Sector Development Program will continue support to implement the governments Health Sector-wide Program. The support will help the government address health sector challenges, including sustaining and improving immunization 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, said World Bank press release.
Bangladeshs 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, said Qimiao Fan, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.
The Health Sector Development Program and its predecessors have contributed to a 40 percent reduction in maternal mortality since 2010. Bangladesh has reduced under-five child mortality by 29 percent between 2007 and 2014, and during the same period, births attended by medically trained professionals increased from 21 percent to 42 percent.
