WASHINGTON, June 28, 2024 – The World Bank has approved a significant credit of $100 million from the International Development Association (IDA)* to bolster Mali’s efforts in enhancing access to and utilization of critical reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, adolescent, and nutritional (RMNCAH+N) health services. This funding also aims to fortify the nation’s preparedness for health emergencies within designated regions.
Leveraging a Results-Based Financing (RBF) approach, the initiative, titled “Promoting Inclusive Health System Resilience for All in Mali,” known locally as Keneya Yiriwali (in Bambara), seeks to elevate the overall quality of essential health services. It specifically targets RMNCAH+N services by expanding their reach across more coverage areas and integrating them at higher tiers of the health system. The project will finance necessary inputs and performance-linked payments in selected regions and schools, contingent on available resources, to improve service delivery effectiveness and availability. This expansion includes areas vulnerable to climate change, regional hospitals, and school infirmaries, with a particular emphasis on adolescent health, climate-related emergencies, and pandemic readiness and response. Furthermore, the project endeavors to optimize the efficiency of health sector spending through enhanced budgetary resource management, the streamlining of health financing, and information systems that connect budgets with performance outcomes.
“The expansion of Results-Based Financing, incorporating both energy and emergency risk management aspects of climate risks, is a pivotal driver for improving the provision of quality healthcare services to the population under the Keneya Yiriwali project. It builds upon the achievements of the Accelerating Progress Towards Universal Health Coverage (PACSU) project, which substantially enhanced healthcare utilization, quality scores, medication availability, and patient satisfaction across nine administrative regions,” explained Clara de Sousa, World Bank’s Operations Director for Mali. “RBF has proven to be a transformative mechanism, empowering health facilities and fostering local recruitment, infrastructure development, and laboratory equipment in Mali.”
The total financial commitment for this IDA operation amounts to $125 million. This comprises the $100 million IDA credit and an additional $25 million grant from the Global Financing Facility (GFF), which includes $15 million co-financed by the government of the Netherlands through its partnership with the GFF. This collaborative effort was instrumental in the successful implementation of the RBF approach from 2020 to 2024 via the PACSU project in Mali.
“Building on previous support, the GFF grant and co-financing with the government of the Netherlands will ensure robust alignment in Mali to enhance health services for women, children, and adolescents,” stated Luc Laviolette, Head of the GFF Secretariat. “Investing in a more resilient and inclusive health system can help guarantee that the needs of the most hard-to-reach and climate-vulnerable communities are met.”
Keneya Yiriwali is set to benefit primarily women, adolescents, and children, encompassing a total population of 15.4 million people, including 3 million children under the age of five and 3.4 million women aged 15 to 49. Its coverage area will extend beyond the regions initially supported by PACSU—Gao, Mopti, Douentza, Bandiagara, San, Ségou, Koulikoro, Dioïla, and Nara—to new regions such as Timbuktu, Bougouni, Koutiala, and Sikasso, which exhibit the highest poverty rates, as well as Commune VI of the Bamako district.
*The International Development Association (IDA) is the World Bank institution dedicated to assisting the world’s poorest countries. Established in 1960, IDA provides grants and low- or zero-interest loans to fund projects and programs designed to stimulate economic growth, alleviate poverty, and improve the lives of the most disadvantaged. IDA is a leading financier for 76 of the world’s poorest countries, with 39 located in Africa. IDA resources positively impact the lives of 1.6 billion people. Since its inception, IDA has supported development activities in 113 countries. Its annual commitments have averaged $21 billion over the past three years, with approximately 61% allocated to Africa.
