The World Bank has announced an ambitious commitment to help low- and middle-income countries provide 1.5 billion people with quality, affordable health services throughout their lives by 2030.
It marks a major shift for the bank by doubling its previous reach and ambition — the bank’s health programming has reached around 750 million people over the last five years.
It will also see the lender maintain its higher spending on health compared to prepandemic levels. In 2023, the bank spent $4.4 billion in health investments, up from $3.1 billion in 2019, according to a bank spokesperson.