pandemic preparedness and enhanced health service delivery. The $1 billion loans are divided into two complementary loans of $500 million each.
According to the World Bank statement, through this combined financing of $1 billion, the Bank will support India’s flagship Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), launched in October 2021, to improve the public healthcare infrastructure across the country.
In addition to the national-level interventions, one of the loans will prioritize seven states including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
The two loans, Public Health Systems for Pandemic Preparedness Program (PHSPP) and Enhanced Health Service Delivery Program (EHSDP), are designed to be complementary and transformational in impact, supporting the Government of India’s reform agenda to accelerate universal coverage, improve quality, and increase the resilience and preparedness of India’s health system, World Bank said. “The COVID-19 outbreak has re-emphasized the urgency for significant reforms to improve health sector performance in India," said Hideki Mori, the World Bank’s Acting Country Director for India. “India’s decision to invest early and significantly to strengthen its health system even as it emerges from the pandemic is a pioneering choice and we are pleased to support this important agenda." Further, of the total, $750 million will be lent as a development policy loan (DPL) to the country to support reforms critical to addressing financing gaps by leveraging private sector investment in infrastructure, small businesses, and the green finance markets.