World Bank commits $1 b to India for enhancing public healthcare infra

The World Bank will extend two complementary loans of $500 million each to India to bolster public healthcare infrastructure in the country.

In a statement, the multilateral body said its combined financing of $1 billion will support India’s flagship Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), launched in October 2021.

It said one of the loans will prioritise health service delivery in seven states—Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh—in addition to the national level interventions.

One of the loans will support efforts to prepare India’s surveillance system to better detect and report epidemics of potential international concern and ensure rapid response, among others. The other loan will support government efforts to bolster service delivery through a redesigned primary healthcare model.