Parliament approves $150m World Bank Loan for primary healthcare investment project

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023, parliament approved a $150 million loan agreement between the government of Ghana, represented by the Ministry of Finance, and the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group (WBG) for the Primary Healthcare Investment Project. The project aims to improve primary healthcare delivery in Ghana, which will be implemented through the government’s regular oversight, planning, budgeting, and implementation systems.

The structures and processes established under the Common Management Arrangements at the Ministry of Health will oversee and coordinate the program at the strategic level.

The Majority Decision recommends adopting the Committee of Finance report submitted to the plenary for debates, “given the enormous potential benefits to be derived from the project and its capacity to address the pressing challenges and vulnerabilities in the health system and to promote vaccine roll-out.”

However, the Minority members of the committee expressed concerns about the impact of the facility on the country’s debt position. They argued that approval of the facility would worsen the country’s debt position and make it unsustainable. They also expressed concern about the proportion of the facility that is dedicated to consultancy services, arguing that a significant proportion would not be channeled into the critical investments needed to improve primary healthcare delivery, especially in rural areas.

Despite these challenges, the Government aims to improve health outcomes and increase primary healthcare service coverage, more especially serving the poor, in recent years. These efforts are targeting further gains in coverage, equity, and quality of primary healthcare services to improve utilization of family planning services, address the high fertility rate among adolescents and reduce the high risk of maternal and neonatal mortality.

To ensure that the health systems continue to remain resilient, the Government  with funding support from the International Development Association (IDA) has designed a program to further strengthen the country’s Response to Public Health Emergencies and improve the quality, utilization, and equity of Primary Health Care Services.