New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) The World Health Organisation (WHO) and multilateral development banks (MDBs) have launched a $1.5 billion Primary Health Financing Platform in 15 countries with the aim to promote health in low- and middle-income countries.
The landmark partnership under the new ‘Health Impact Investing Platform’ aims to address the need for coordinated efforts to strengthen primary healthcare (PHC) in vulnerable and underprivileged communities to build resilience against pandemic threats such as monkeypox and the climate crisis.
Around 15 countries have been identified for the first phase. These include Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Jordan, Maldives, Morocco, Senegal, South Sudan, Gambia, Tunisia and Zambia.
“Primary health care is the most equitable, cost-effective and inclusive way to improve health and well-being. It helps keep people healthy, prevent diseases and detect outbreaks at an early stage,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
He described the new 'Health Impact Investment Platform' as an important source of new financing that will help build climate and crisis-resilient primary health care.
The platform will work with the governments of these countries to develop national health strategies to promote their primary health. They will also prioritize investment opportunities that meet national health needs. The funding agreement was signed at a high-level roundtable meeting in New York.
The roundtable was attended by the Partnership’s three founding Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) – the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Heads of State, Finance and Health Ministers of Djibouti, Egypt, and Ethiopia. They were joined by the Asian Development Bank.
The EIB and the World Health Organization have signed an initial contribution of 10 million euros to kick-start the investment plans, the global health body said. The Islamic Development Bank and the African Development Bank are also expected to sign on soon.
–IANS
FZ/GKT
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