Implementation of the WB project to become the driving force for Ukrainian medical reform

The project of the World Bank will become the driving force for the Ukrainian medical reform. This was said during the briefing at the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine by Minister of Health of Ukraine Oleksandr Kvitashvili.

Today at the Government house there was held a joint briefing of Minister of Health of Ukraine Olexandr Kvitashvili and representatives of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, during which the World Bank Director for Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine Qimiao Fan informed that on March 4, 2015 in Washington, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a US$214.73 million loan for the Serving People, Improving Health Project to support the implementation of reforms and improved service delivery in Ukraine’s health sector.

"This year it is a first loan, the Bank provides to the countries of the world. We understand that today Ukraine faces unprecedented challenges, therefore, even during the global financial crisis, the World Bank Board of Directors adopted a decision to grant to Ukraine the financial assistance to promote effective reforms. This new project is part of the World Bank Group’s overall assistance to Ukraine announced in February this year. The Bank Group has pledged up to US$2 billion new lending for Ukraine in 2015," said Qimiao Fan.

Experts of the World Bank believe that this new investment would help to ensure the appropriate quality of delivery of medical services, their availability, efficient use of funds in the health system, and the implementation of the project would be open for the public and media.

During the briefing Minister of Health of Ukraine Olexandr Kvitashvili noted that the components of the project will be the driving force for the Ukrainian medical reform which will afford this year already to build the foundation for further reforms in the branch.

"We appreciate the support of the World Bank in these difficult times for Ukraine to facilitate upgrading the national medicine. I am personally grateful to Qimiao Fan for it proved possible in short time to prepare the necessary documents to obtain the final decision on the project by the Board of Directors of the Bank and we are looking forward to its start so that the population of Ukraine could feel the real effect of its implementation", said Olexandr Kvitashvili.

The new five-year Serving People, Improving Health project will seek to develop medical infrastructure and improve the quality of health services in eight regions across the country. The investment will focus on introducing a new funding mechanism within hospitals and enhancing primary and secondary prevention, early detection, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.