The World Bank is providing approximately USD47 million dollars to boost Zambia’s efforts to overcome malaria.
World Bank President Robert Zoellick, who was on a two-day visit to the country late last week, said that the bank’s executive directors have approved a USD30 million loan to support the second phase of Zambia’s Malaria Booster Program, which aims to reduce the number of malaria deaths in the country and strenghten its national health system. The second part of the program will build on the successes of the first phase of the program, through which Zambia was able to reduce the number of malaria deaths by at least half from 2000 to 2008.
The loan will be accompanied by a USD16.76 million grant from the World Bank’s Health Results Innovation Trust Fund. The grant will be used primarily to support improvements in Zambia’s health system and in the delivery of child and maternal health care services in rural areas, according to a World Bank press release.
While in Zambia, Zoellick pledged continued World Bank support for the country’s agriculture, water infrastructure and transportation sectors. He praised Zambia’s efforts to overhaul its economy while urging for continued efforts to promote economic growth and create opportunities for rural communities to overcome poverty.
