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Azerbaijan asks WB to finance continuation of healthcare reforms

Business Materials 5 November 2011 11:43 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, November 4 / Trend, N. Ismailova /

In an official inquiry to the World Bank (WB), the Government of Azerbaijan asks WB to issue loan to finance the second stage of the healthcare development project, the Government told Trend on Friday.

"Though inquiry was submitted to WB several months ago, project-related discussions have not begun so far," the Government reported.

As reported, continuation of the project will pursue goals similar to that of the first stage, i.e. reformation of the system of financing in the healthcare sector and training of physicians.
Compared to the first project when a strategy of infectious diseases was drafted, the second stage envisions preparation of a strategy of non-infectious diseases.

The healthcare system reformation project has four basic components:
- Strengthening of the managing potential of Healthcare Ministry, sector's policy, and planning and regulation policy;
- Enhancement of quality and efficiency of medical services in five pilot regions, which includes modification of regional primary level of services and construction of three regional hospitals, and strengthening of links between the primary and secondary healthcare levels in these regions;
- Reform of the financing of healthcare, and gradual transition to the compulsory medical insurance;
- Enhancement of personnel potential, including medical personnel certification program
The Project was approved at a meeting of the WB Executive Board on June 29, 2006 and started being implemented in December of that year. The Project is valued at a total of $86.75 million, of which $50 million were assigned by WB and $28.25 million-by the Government of Azerbaijan. The rest was assigned by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and USAID.
As of September 201, $22.7 million of the World Bank's loan have been used. The project is expected to end in December 2012.
This is the second healthcare reformation project in Azerbaijan financed by the World Bank. The first loan of WB was equivalent to $5 million. The first project was completed in September 2006.

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