Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Gambia has been selected as one of 15 countries to benefit from a landmark initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs). The $1.5 billion Primary Health Financing Platform, launched under the ‘Health Impact Investment Platform,’ aims to strengthen primary health care systems in low- and middle-income countries, ensuring that vulnerable communities are better equipped to handle future health crises.

This initiative, which targets countries across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, including The Gambia, Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Jordan, Maldives, Morocco, Senegal, South Sudan, Tunisia, and Zambia, seeks to address health disparities by investing in resilient primary health care systems. The effort comes as the global health community faces growing threats from emerging pandemics such as monkeypox, and climate-related health challenges.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, highlighted the importance of this new platform, stating, “Primary health care is the most equitable, cost-effective, and inclusive way to improve health and well-being. It helps keep people healthy, prevent disease, and detect outbreaks early.” He emphasized the potential of the platform to build climate- and crisis-resilient primary health care systems in participating countries like The Gambia.

The Gambia, which has been working to improve its health infrastructure, particularly in rural and underserved areas, stands to gain significantly from the new funding. The initiative will align with the country’s national health strategy and strengthen its primary care system, enabling it to detect and prevent outbreaks more effectively, while enhancing the country’s resilience to climate change-related health risks.

The program was officially launched during a high-level roundtable meeting in New York, which brought together the partnership’s three founding MDBs— the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB)—alongside the WHO. Government leaders, health ministers, and finance ministers from countries such as Djibouti, Egypt, and Ethiopia also attended.

In an initial step to catalyze this ambitious investment, the EIB and WHO have signed a 10-million-euro agreement to kick-start the platform’s funding, with commitments from the AfDB and IDB expected to follow. This coordinated effort will focus on developing national health strategies and prioritizing key investments that address the unique health needs of each of the 15 countries, including The Gambia.

The Gambia’s participation in this initiative aligns with its broader goals of achieving universal health coverage and enhancing the capacity of its health system to tackle both present and future challenges. With additional support from the WHO and MDBs, the country’s efforts to improve access to primary health care services, particularly in rural and marginalized communities, will be further bolstered.

This global partnership marks a significant step towards building more resilient health care systems worldwide, with a focus on addressing the growing threats of pandemics and climate change. For The Gambia, this initiative represents not only an opportunity to enhance its health infrastructure but also a pathway to ensuring long-term health security for its citizens.