ECA HNP Vision and Sector Strategy

The scope and importance of health, nutrition, and population programs in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region continue to increase and evolve. Since the 1990s, countries in this region have undergone dramatic and fundamental changes in their economy, society, and sectoral policies. At the same time, the gap in income and health status between countries has widened. In some countries, new issues are coming to the fore such as aging populations or the threat of Avian Flu, while others are engaged in battling the resurgence of once-forgotten infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.

The breadth and depth of our experience in ECA countries during the transition years has helped us clarify our vision for the future. The World Bank’s Health, Nutrition, and Population sector of ECA (HNP) envisions diverse regional health systems that deliver high-quality services that are affordable and efficient, and that lead to better health and greater opportunities for human development. These systems will incorporate the best traditions and lessons learned from the region, while drawing on international best practices and evidence-based policy, underpinned by rigorous analysis. To achieve this vision HNP aims to assist our clients on a broad set of issues in a targeted and impact-driven way, while working with national, local, and regional partners to:

• Build on the earlier work in infrastructure and equipment financing, and focus on specific, high-impact systemic changes and improvements in health service quality, coverage, or health outcomes;
• Scale-up, reproduce, and/or maintain successful existing activities or system-wide reforms that have been demonstrated in the field, and promote cross-country learnings from the wealth of regional and worldwide experience;
• Initiate, develop, and implement programs targeting emerging issues in the region related to areas of national and regional importance, such as public health and disease surveillance, medical education, health financing and insurance, and regional health strategies; and
• Continue to produce and provide robust technical sector work and advice to underpin our overall operations in the client countries for continued improvements in the desired health, nutrition, and population outcomes.
  
  

  Sector Strategy Document: Health, Nutrition and Population in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) - A Decade of Experience: Lessons Learned, Implications for the Future (December 2003)