Huge! World Bank approves USD 391 million for Assam, Tripura to boost healthcare, economic opportunities

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• Jun 27, 2023 | Kabir Chakraborty

"This project will improve the quality and efficiency of health care in the state and may serve as a model for healthcare innovations in India's Northeast and beyond."

Digital Desk: The
World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved $391 million in funding
today to expand access to high-quality healthcare services and economic
prospects in India's northeastern regions of Assam and Tripura.

"The
World Bank is committed to supporting the Government of India's development
efforts in the northeast of the country," stated Auguste Tano Kouame,
World Bank Country Director for India. "In Assam, increased access to
dependable health services will help people save money and time, as well as be
more productive." Access to improved all-weather roads and green
agriculture technologies in Tripura would assist enhance the lives and
livelihoods of indigenous inhabitants, particularly women."

The
$251 million Assam State Secondary Healthcare Initiative for Service Delivery
Transformation (ASSIST) Project would increase access to high-quality secondary
healthcare services in Assam and directly assist at least 1.8 million people.
The initiative will improve treatment and management of noncommunicable
diseases as well as increase access to comprehensive emergency obstetric and
newborn care services. In addition, the project would upgrade up to ten
lower-level facilities to district hospitals in critical districts, as well as
increase the capacity of nurses and healthcare management to provide better
service.

"Assam
has made strides in increasing access to essential healthcare services, with 87
percent of women giving birth in a facility today compared to just 24 percent
in 2005," said team leaders Amith Nagaraj and Elina Pradhan.
"However, the rise in noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension and
diabetes poses a double burden on the state's healthcare system." "This
project will improve the quality and efficiency of health care in the state and
may serve as a model for healthcare innovations in India's Northeast and
beyond."

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The
Tripura Rural Economic Growth and Service Delivery Project ($140 million)
intends to promote socioeconomic growth and improve the quality of life for
142,000 households in tribal blocks, which are territories where tribal
populations live and work. More than 400 km of rural roads will be converted to
all-weather highways, improving access to markets for farmers and communities
living in steep and forested areas. Climate-smart agriculture, which will aid
in the production of fruits and vegetables, will benefit approximately 75,000
households. The project will also invest in secondary school students' learning
outcomes by expanding enrollments for boys and training teachers.

Team
leaders Priti Kumar, Anna O'Donnell, and Tesfamichael Nahusenay stated that the
investments made as part of this project "will be instrumental in
diversifying local economies, generating new jobs and skills, and directly
contributing to human capital development, while also reducing vulnerability to
the impacts of climate change."

The
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) provided the $251
million variable spread loan for Assam and the $140 million loan for Tripura.
Both loans have a 10.5-year maturity with a five-year grace period.