The World Bank yesterday (June 23) approved a US$24 million International Development Association (IDA) credit providing further support to the Government of Sri Lanka’s health service delivery program, with particular emphasis on the special health needs in the north and east arising out of the recent conflict, a press release issued by the World Bank said.

It also said with the end of the military conflict, Sri Lanka is now facing the challenges of resettlement and reconstruction within the context of reconciliation. An immediate challenge is to provide basic health services to the internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The US$24 million is additional financing to Health Sector Development Project (HSDP), currently financed by an IDA grant of US$60 million which was approved by the Bank on June 15, 2004.

The project will continue to support decentralization of health service delivery, including strengthening of district and provincial capacity for planning and implementation of health programs. It will also support efforts to improve service delivery and renovate health facilities, provide training for health workers, and provision of medical supplies and equipment.

“The project has been helping the Provincial and District level authorities in taking greater responsibility for the primary and secondary level health care,” said Sundararajan Srinivasa Gopalan, World Bank team leader for the project. “This results in programs that are more responsive to the needs of the local communities."

The project will also help the Central Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition become more effective in its use of evidence base and information systems for policy, planning, monitoring and management.