USD 200 million from World Bank's IBRD for Primary Health Care Strengthening project

Sri Lanka is to obtain USD 200 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) of the World Bank to implement a project for a Primary Health Care Strengthening System.

According to a release by the Ministry of External Resources the development objective of the proposed project is “to increase the utilization and quality of primary health care services, with an emphasis on detection and management of non-communicable diseases in high-risk population groups, in selected areas of the country”.

This objective will be achieved by supporting the reorganization and strengthening of the local primary health care system. Specifically, the project intends to support the development and roll out of policies and standards and strengthening of various supportive systems.

The project will lay the foundation for a more integrated, coordinated, and people-centered delivery system. The primary beneficiaries of the project will be the users of public Primary Health Care (PHC) Institutions in the selected communities of the country.

A Project Steering Committee (PSC) will be established and co-chaired by the secretaries of the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine and Ministry of Internal and Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Governments.
The additional members will consist of secretary to the Finance Commission, nine Provincial Chief Secretaries, and representatives from the central Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine and provincial Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine.

The financing agreement of the aforementioned project was signed by Dr. R H S Samaratunga, Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Mass Media on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka and Ms. Idah Z Pswarayi – Riddihough, World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka and Maldives on behalf of the World Bank on January 23, 2019 at the Ministry of Finance and Mass Media.