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Publication: Primary Health Care in the World Bank from FY2010-FY2020: The Extent and Evolution of Primary Health Care Activities, Projects, and Measurement in the World Bank from FY 2020–FY 2020
Date
2022-06
ISSN
Published
2022-06
Author(s)
Villar Uribe, Manuela
Feil, Cameron
Vicencio, Jasmine
Abstract
Primary health care (PHC) is an
essential building block for achieving universal health
coverage (UHC). The World Bank Group’s (WBG’s) health,
nutrition, and population (HNP) practice is committed to
improving global health and strengthening health systems.
Notably, the WBG has pledged to help partner countries
achieve UHC through stronger PHC systems. While the
Independent Evaluation Group found that 80 percent of WB
project financing is allocated to the first level of care,
more specific details about the extent to which the WBG has
committed to PHC over the past decade is not well known.
This paper captures the extent and evolution of PHC
investment, activities, and measurement across the HNP
portfolio over the past decade. Using the PHC performance
initiative’s (PHCPI’s) tools, this evaluation systematically
identifies and maps the PHC-related loan commitments,
approaches, activities, and measurement across HNP projects.
The project appraisal documents of HNP projects approved
between fiscal year (FY) 2010 to FY 2020 were assessed. The
implementation completion reports of projects were reviewed
to identify enabling and inhibiting characteristics of
projects. The WBG has been responsive to global PHC-related
initiatives as evidenced by the increased extent of overall
PHC investment across the HNP portfolio. This paper found
that the WB uses three different approaches to strengthening
PHC within projects, finding that 74 percent of WB HNP
projects include PHC. In total, 25 percent of HNP projects
adopted a comprehensive PHC strengthening approach, 44
percent used a specific PHC approach, and 5 percent used a
health system strengthening with PHC approach. The use of
each approach related to specific types of PHC-strengthening
activities. Economic and health system capacities were found
to be determinants of PHC approach adoption. Lastly, gaps in
the measurement of PHC system strengthening and governance,
service delivery processes, access, and quality exist. The
WBG has demonstrated that it is increasingly committed to
strengthening PHC systems in partner countries. However,
several key opportunities and areas of improvement have been
identified to apply in projects in the decade ahead.
Citation
“Villar Uribe, Manuela; Feil, Cameron; Vicencio, Jasmine. 2022. Primary Health Care in the World Bank from FY2010-FY2020 : The Extent and Evolution of Primary Health Care Activities, Projects, and Measurement in the World Bank from FY 2020–FY 2020. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/37840 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”