World Bank Group Commits to Expand Health Services to 1.5bn People By 2030

* Pate: Nigerian Govt committed to accessible healthcare for all

Funke Olaode in Washington DC

The World Bank Group has announced an ambitious plan to support countries in delivering quality, affordable health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030.
President, World Bank Group, Ajay Banga, said this was part of a larger global effort to provide a basic standard of care through every stage of a person’s life – infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

For decades, the World Bank Group, has helped provide health services for women and children in more than 100 countries.
A focused effort to become faster, work better with partners, and bring in the private sector, has enabled the 80-year-old institution to pursue greater scale and impact.

According to the Washington DC-based financial institution, the strategy to reach 1.5 billion people was focused on three core elements, which were expanding focus from maternal and child health to include coverage throughout a person’s lifetime, including non-communicable diseases.
Expanding operations to hard-to-reach areas, including remote villages, cities, and countries.

Working with governments to cut unnecessary fees and other financial barriers to health care.
To be counted toward this goal, a person must be seen and treated by a health-care worker via an in-person visit or telehealth.
“Providing a basic standard of care for people throughout their lives is critical for development,” said Banga.
“This ambition won’t be realised with a solo effort. It will require partners, a coalition of public and private sector, working together to expand access to health care services,” he added.

Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Dr. Mohammed Pate, during a panel discussion, reiterated Nigeria’s government commitment to make healthcare accessible to all and how the government was priotising health and some of the challenges in meeting the universal health coverage target.
He said so far, the government’s efforts were yielding results.

“Under the President’s health sector renewal Investment Initiative, we’re expanding access to quality, basic health care, primary health care systems by  expanding the primary health care centers from 1800 to 17,000, retraining 120,000 frontline health workers and enabling them with digital technology to function.

“Also, expanding the affordability to ensure the poorest and most vulnerable are able to afford the services that they need to improve maternal and child health. Immunization, as well as dealing with other elements.”