US$ 200 million loan to uplift Primary Health Care

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

The project will 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.The primary users of the public PHC Institutions tend to be the poorer segments of the population.

Within the communities supported by the project, those who are most at risk of having or developing a severe or catastrophic Non-communicable Disease (NCD) will be the primary target. Project interventions will benefit the health sector staff at the central and provincial levels by strengthening their capacities and making resources available to plan and execute the strategy for strengthening PHC services.

A Project Steering Committee (PSC) will be established and co-chaired by the secretaries of the Health Ministry, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine and Internal and Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Governments Ministry.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.

(Government News Portal)