World Bank approves $46mn financing for KPK’s healthcare sector

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved $46 million in financing for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Citizen Centered Service Delivery Project.

The funding will support both supply and demand side interventions to improve health service delivery in the province, as well as the operations of citizen-centric administrative facilitation centers in the Newly Merged Districts, read a statement by World Bank.

“The project will support the government in expanding the provision of Child Wellness Grants targeted at mothers, provided they attend health awareness sessions”, said Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan. “It will also help improve access to quality child health-related services.”

The World Bank said nearly 300,000 children under the age of two will benefit from Child Welfare Grants (CWGs).

Under the project, to mitigate the financial barriers associated with the use of these services, families of these children will receive Rs12,500 (approximately $45), spread over five visits, for attending the health awareness sessions and growth monitoring of their child.

“The project will also support the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government in adoption of the one window operation model of the Citizen Facilitation Centers (CFC) to promote essential service delivery to the local population,” read the statement.

It added that the CFCs, in addition to provision of Child Wellness Grants, offer vital services to the local communities such as registration services including recording of birth, death, marriage, divorce, family registration etc. 560,000 individuals will be utilizing the services provided at the CFCs.

“The project will facilitate the transition of the program to the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bridging the continuity of the activities under the 40 CFCs already established with the support of the Federal Government,” said Amjad Zafar Khan, Task Team Leader for the project.

Back in May, the World Bank’s board approved $213 million in financing to improve livelihoods and essential services and enhance risk protection in communities affected by the 2022 floods, with a focus on the Balochistan.