The World Bank has approved US$300million of IDA support for the Public Financial Management (PFM) for Service Delivery Programme (US$150million) and the Primary Health Care Investment Programme (US$150million) to help Ghana improve public resource mobilisation and accountability for better service delivery and the quality and equity of primary health care,
The Primary Health Care Investment Programme is co-financed by US$31million in grants by the Global Financing Facility (GFF), including US$16million to restore and protect essential health services amid multiple crises, including COVID-19.
“The two programmes support important government priorities in improving service delivery and accountability, and are even more relevant as Ghana begins recovering from the COVID-19 context,” said Pierre Laporte, World Bank Ghana Country Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone. “Supporting the government of Ghana to raise additional budgetary resources, control spending and ensure that spending efficiency is maximised for health and education services, as well as other sectors, will be an invaluable for investment in the human capital of Ghana’s population.”
The Primary Health Care Investment programme will support the government of Ghana’s strategy for strengthening primary health care at the sub-district level and improving the accessibility and quality of essential health services. The Health Programme will also support networking primary health care services and strengthening key management and financing systems, closely coordinated with the PFM Programme. It will support improvements in coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme, including for poor and vulnerable groups, and in its financing of primary health care services.
“The Programme will benefit users of health services at the community level and by Health Centres as it enhances quality and access to key services, including maternal health care, child immunisation and management of chronic diseases,” said Patrick Mullen, Human Development Programme Lead and Task Team Leader of the Primary Health Care Investment Programme.
“The Global Financing Facility (GFF) is proud to support the government of Ghana’s leadership and commitment to strengthening health systems while ensuring access to essential health services, especially for women and children in the most vulnerable communities,” said Monique Vledder, Head of Secretariat-GFF. “By enhancing the quality of primary care services in communities and promoting sustainable financing, Ghana can drive a more equitable and resilient recovery.”
The PFM for Service Delivery Programme will support government in improving public resource mobilisation, allowing for increased fiscal space and greater resource allocation for public investment and mitigation of Ghana’s debt situation. It will also support government’s programme in improving resource allocation consistent with government priorities, by managing subsidies and transfers to state-owned enterprises toward improving their performance, transparency, disclosure, and accountability through effective oversight.
Improved budget execution and accountability will enable better service delivery. The Programme will help improve budget execution by ensuring that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies and other institutions providing public services receive their allocated budgets in time to enable them function smoothly to improve service delivery.
“The Programme beneficiaries include both public sector institutions as well as the general public, including taxpayers and recipients of public services,” said Furqan Ahmad Saleem, World Bank Lead Public Specialist and Task Team Leader for the Programme. “The Programme builds on the successes and lessons learned from the World Bank’s past PFM operations and engagements, and leverages ongoing engagements by other development partners.”
