The World Bank's Board of Directors this week approved additional financing of $20 million for the Strengthening of Primary Health Care and Surveillance in Haiti Project (PROSYS), which aims to increase utilization of primary health care services in selected geographical areas, and strengthen disease surveillance capacity, especially cholera.

"Access to quality healthcare is crucial to mitigating cyclical poverty, enhancing Haiti’s human capital, and helping future generations reach their full potentialk," said Laurent Msellati, World Bank Country Manager for Haiti. "Haiti has been cholera-free for more than three years and thereby successfully eliminated it; however, more efforts are necessary in other essential health areas, as fewer than half of all children are fully immunized, and only a third of women deliver at health facilities."

In the aftermath of August’s 2021 earthquake, the World Bank quickly reallocated US$20 million from the PROSYS Project to cover approximately 65 percent of the total reconstruction costs in the health sector of US$31 million identified by the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA). Those funds are supporting the rebuilding and rehabilitation of approximatively 30 damaged health infrastructures in the three affected departments of Nippes, Sud, and Grand’Anse, directly benefitting more than 650,000 people. The reallocation of funds also provides equipment and supplies to the rehabilitated health facilities and supported the coordination of all stakeholders involved in the reconstruction activities in the sector.

This approved additional financing will address the gap caused by the reallocation of funds due to emergency and will provide financing for key activities such as strengthening primary health care referral networks, providing incentives to healthcare providers, and increasing their accountability through the Result-Based financed Program. The additional financing will also help maintain the government’s nationwide surveillance and response capacity in the fight against infectious diseases such as diphtheria and measles.

The initial Strengthening Primary Health Care and Surveillance in Haiti Project was approved by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors on May 16, 2019, for a general amount of US$70 million - US$55 million from the International Development Association (IDA) and US$15 million from the Global Financing Facility (GFF) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27756-haiti-world-bank-donation-of-$162m-for-3-projects.html - with the aim of increasing utilization of essential primary health care services and strengthening surveillance capacity.

HL/ HaitiLibre