Few systems have more impact on people’s lives than a nation’s health system. A health system has many components: It’s the policy that funds the health clinic, the training that educates the health worker, the financing that allows a patient to secure treatment, and the accountability mechanisms that ensure quality care. It’s the network of people, information, resources, and policies all working together for better health outcomes. Strong health systems (PDF 325kb) can make the difference between a mother who dies in childbirth at home and one who delivers safely in a clinic, a polio vaccine sitting in a vial and one protecting a child, or a family that falls into poverty due to catastrophic illness and one that has coverage to afford the care they need. Strengthening health systems is at the center of the World Bank’s strategy for health, nutrition, and population. The Bank brings a unique perspective to improving health: We don’t focus on one disease or condition, we look at health as a whole – what is preventing people from being healthy, how we can change this, and what impact it will have on development. The Bank offers financing, state-of-the-art analysis, and policy advice to help countries expand equitable access to quality, affordable health care; protect people from falling into poverty or worsening poverty due to illness; and achieve universal access to health care in a fiscally sustainable way. The Bank finances investments in all of the sectors that impact health – including education, infrastructure, water and sanitation, and transportation, to name just a few. |
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