The execution of the Health Impact Investment Platform is officially underway, turning commitments into operational reality with the first country health investment plans. This partnership between Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), the World Health Organization (WHO) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) aims to strengthen primary healthcare in vulnerable communities to build resilience against pandemic threats.
At a high-level roundtable meeting on the margins of the UN Summit of the Future in New York, new funding was signed, and it was agreed that the partners will sit down and start identifying needs and planning health care improvements in 15 countries. The roundtable was attended by the partnership’s three founding MDBs – the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) –,WHO and the heads of state, as well as health ministers from Senegal and Uganda. The Asian Development Bank also endorsed the initiative, aiming to expand it in its regions
The EIB and WHO signed an initial contribution of € 10 million to kick start the implementation of these investment plans. The Islamic Development Bank and the African Development Bank are finalizing their contributions for the same amount that will be signed in the near future.
The Health Impact Investment Platform is an initiative designed to mobilize €1.5 billion in concessional loans and grants to enhance primary healthcare services in low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on the most vulnerable communities. The investment plans currently being developed in these 15 countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia and Zambia, represent phase 1 of the initiative. The platform will collaborate closely with governments to create national health strategies centered on primary healthcare, prioritizing investments that align with each country’s specific health needs.
