April 30: The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved US$100 million in financing for the operation of Nepal Quality Health Systems Program.

Issuing a recent statement, the World Bank said that the program will improve the quality of healthcare services and increase the coverage of health insurance, and enhance the capacity of the healthcare system to prepare for and respond to health emergencies in Koshi and Gandaki provinces.

“By prioritizing and investing in health, Nepal can reap multiple benefits including improved health outcomes, increased productivity, and economic growth,” said Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank’s country director for the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. “The World Bank supports Nepal’s goal to put quality at the core of health system policy and planning and service delivery.”

According to the World Bank, the program will be implemented by the Ministry of Health and Population with the coordination of the Health Insurance Board at the federal level, and provincial and local governments in Koshi and Gandaki provinces to help achieve the strategic objectives of Nepal’s Health Sector Strategic Plan, 2022-2030. These include enhancing efficiency and responsiveness of the health system, promoting sustainable financing and social protection in health, and promoting equitable access to quality health services.

“The program supports the implementation of federalism and builds on Nepal’s first Program for Results in the health sector to address the challenges of access and quality and to build a resilient public health sector,” said Dr Feng Zhao, practice manager for health, nutrition and population, South Asia Region. “The results achieved under this Program have the potential for scale-up to other provinces.”

The financing for the program is complemented by a US$3.84 million grant from the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HEPR) Trust Fund. The HEPR Trust Fund supports eligible countries and territories to improve their capacities to prepare, prevent, respond, and mitigate the impact of epidemics on populations, added the World Bank.