In a significant move to fortify its health infrastructure against future pandemics, India has signed a USD 170 million policy-based loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This financial infusion is aimed at enhancing the country’s preparedness and response capabilities in dealing with health crises. The agreement, titled “Strengthened and Measurable Actions for Resilient and Transformative Health Systems Programme (Subprogramme 1),” was formalized on Tuesday.
Signing of the Loan Agreement
The loan agreement was signed by Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, representing the Government of India, and Mio Oka, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission. This collaboration underscores the mutual commitment to strengthening India’s health systems and ensuring robust pandemic preparedness.
Objectives of the Loan
The primary objective of this loan is to consolidate and enhance India’s health system preparedness and response capacity to future pandemics. According to the Ministry of Finance, the program will bolster ongoing efforts to improve disease surveillance, ensure the adequacy and quality of health professionals, and promote climate-resilient public health infrastructure and service delivery.
“Through this policy-based loan, ADB will help the government fill the gaps in policy, legislative, and institutional governance and structures, contributing to India’s goal of providing universal access to quality and affordable health care services,” said Mio Oka, ADB’s Country Director for India.
Key Focus Areas
Strengthening Disease Surveillance
A critical component of the program is to enhance disease surveillance systems. This includes establishing laboratory networks for infectious disease surveillance at various levels—state, union, and metropolitan. The initiative aims to build robust data systems to monitor and coordinate national health programs targeting the poor, women, and other vulnerable groups.
Enhancing Human Resources for Health
The program also emphasizes strengthening human resources for health (HRH). It aims to ensure there are adequate and competent health professionals through policy reforms. This includes legislation to regulate and maintain standards of education, services, and professional conduct for nurses, midwives, allied workers, and doctors.
Climate-Resilient Public Health Infrastructure
Promoting climate-resilient public health infrastructure is another vital focus. The program supports the establishment of green and climate-resilient healthcare facilities, ensuring that public health infrastructure can withstand and adapt to climate-related challenges.
Innovative Service Delivery
The loan will also support innovative solutions for service delivery. This includes managing integrated public health laboratories in five states and establishing district critical care hospital blocks to improve services for infectious diseases and critical illnesses.
Alignment with Government Initiatives
The program aligns with several major government plans and initiatives, including:
- National Health Policy 2017: This policy outlines the vision of universal health coverage for all citizens, with a focus on quality and affordable health care.
- Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM): This mission aims to strengthen public health infrastructure across the country, ensuring robust health systems to tackle future pandemics.
- National One Health Mission: This mission promotes a multisectoral approach to health, integrating efforts across various sectors to address public health threats.
Enhancing Governance and Multisector Response
Improving the governance of India’s One Health approach and its multisector response to emerging infectious diseases is a key aspect of the program. The program will support the inter-sectoral governing body and multi-sector task force in establishing green and climate-resilient healthcare facilities.
Support for Policy Reforms
ADB’s support extends to policy reforms that will ensure the adequacy of health professionals. This involves legislation to regulate and maintain standards of education, services, and professional conduct of nurses, midwives, allied workers, and doctors.
The Ministry of Finance highlighted that 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, and support innovative solutions for service delivery.
The USD 170 million loan agreement between India and ADB represents a significant step towards strengthening the country’s health system preparedness and response capabilities for future pandemics. By enhancing disease surveillance, improving human resources for health, promoting climate-resilient infrastructure, and supporting innovative service delivery, this program aims to build a robust health system that can effectively tackle public health threats and provide universal access to quality and affordable health care services.
Join TISHHA.
