India and Asian Development Bank Sign $170 Million Loan to Boost Health System for Future Pandemics
India has signed a $170 million policy-based loan with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to enhance the country’s health system preparedness for pandemics, according to the Union Ministry of Finance. The loan aims to consolidate and strengthen India’s health system preparedness and response capacity to future pandemics.
Loan Agreement Details
The loan agreement, named ‘Strengthened and Measurable Actions for Resilient and Transformative Health Systems Programme (Subprogramme 1)’, was signed by Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India, and Mio Oka, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission for ADB.
Program Goals
The ADB program will support the government’s efforts in strengthening disease surveillance, ensuring the quality of health professionals, and promoting climate-resilient public health infrastructure and service delivery. Mio Oka stated, “Through this policy-based loan, ADB will help the government fill the gaps in policy, legislative, and institutional governance and structures and contribute to India’s goal of providing universal access to quality and affordable health care services to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response.”
Government Initiatives
The program will be anchored in major government plans and initiatives, including the National Health Policy 2017, Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), the National One Health Mission, and efforts to strengthen human resources for health (HRH).
Targeted Reform Areas
The targeted reform areas include:
- Strengthening disease surveillance and multi-sectoral response
- Strengthening human resources for health
- Expanding climate-resilient public health infrastructure and innovative service delivery
The program will also improve the governance of India’s One Health approach and its multisector response to emerging infectious diseases. ADB will support policy reforms to ensure adequate and competent health professionals and workers, including legislation to regulate and maintain standards of education, services, and professional conduct of nurses, midwives, allied workers, and doctors.
Implementation
The program will help manage integrated public health laboratories in five states and district critical care hospital blocks to improve services for infectious diseases and critical illnesses. It will assist the inter-sectoral governing body and multi-sector task force in establishing green and climate-resilient healthcare facilities. Innovative solutions for service delivery will also be supported.
