World Bank health mission to visit Baku

Within the scope of the four-day visit, the mission will have meetings with Azeri government over the Health Sector Reform Project in Azerbaijan, the World Bank Office in Baku told APA-Economics.

Project approved by the World Bank Board of Directors in June, 2006 aims to improve overall health system stewardship and financing, and enhance equitable access to, and technical and perceived quality of essential healthcare services, in the selected districts in a fiscally responsible and sustainable manner with a view to improving health outcomes.

Project has the following components:

Component A: will assist the Ministry of Health (MOH) to build its capacity in policy making, planning and regulation to design and introduce mechanisms, instruments and tools, training MOH staff and upgrading MOH”s technological and physical infrastructure.

Component B: will improve the quality, technical, and efficiency of health care services in five pilot districts of Absheron, Aghdash, Ismailli, Sheki and Gakh.

Component C: will support health care financing reform in Azerbaijan aiming at gradually introducing universal risk protection against out-of-pocket health expenditures and moving towards insurance principles through improved revenue mobilization, pooling and allocation of health sector resources and purchasing of health care services. Component D: aims to address the long term human resource needs of the health sector.

Component D: will ensure effective administration and implementation of the project by supporting the operation of a Project Implementation Unit in the MOH, including coordinating with relevant stakeholders and donors, as well as for procurement, disbursement, financial management, coordination of training events, and for ensuring effective monitoring and evaluation of the outcomes of the project.

Project will be complete in 2012. In total, the project costs $86.75mln, of which $50mln is provided by the World Bank.