Uzbekistan, Tashkent, 11 March / Trend D.Azizov /
The World Bank (WB) board of directors has approved additional funding to the sum of $ 93 million to improve health care service in Uzbekistan, the Tashkent office of the World Bank told Trend on Monday.
Additional funding will be allocated from concessional resources of the International Development Association (IDA) which is part of the World Bank.
A loan of $93 million was allocated by the WB to Uzbekistan for implementation of the project in September 2011. Funds have also been allocated from concessional recourses of the IDA for a term of 35 years, including a 10-year grace period.
The project is aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of health care services in the regions, strengthening the health care system and management reform.
"Additional funding is being allocated to expand public health services by deepening the on-going reforms in the sector and in particular, development of primary health care and improvement of its quality. Moreover, institutional strengthening will be achieved for prevention of non-communicable diseases and control over them," the WB said.
In 1999, the bank provided a preferential loan to Uzbekistan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) worth $30 million for implementation of the project for the development of primary health care in the rural areas of the Ferghana, Syr Darya, Navoi, Khorezm and Karakalpakstan regions for a total value of $76 million. In October 2004, the bank provided a free loan of $39.5 million from the IDA, as well as a grant of $500,000 for the implementation of disease prevention programmes for a similar project worth $150 million in other areas of the country.
Uzbekistan joined the World Bank in 1992. Since 1995, the bank has provided Uzbekistan with loans totalling $1.46 billion for the implementation of projects in the privatisation field, financial sector development and modernisation of agriculture, electro energetics and improvement of social infrastructure, health and education.
According to the approved bank strategy of partnership with Uzbekistan in 2012-2015, the World Bank intends to provide financial assistance to the country in the implementation of 15 investment projects in electro energetics, transport, irrigation, petrochemicals, textile industry, agro-processing and improvement of the quality of medical services for a total of $1.3 billion.