DFID supported health reforms win World Bank Award

15 October 2009

The World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group recently announced the winners of the 2009 Good Practice Awards. Established in 2004 these awards recognise strong performance from across the Bank’s wide ranging portfolio of work. The winner of this year’s prestigious Project Award went to DFID supported Health Sector Reform Projects in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Working together

Working closely with other donors is key to DFID’s work in Central Asia. And part of the strength of the winning health reform projects is that the World Bank, US, World Health Organisation and others all joined together to support the Health reform programme, the Kyrgyz Government’s own health care strategy.

Winning health reforms in the Kyrgyz Republic

“More than 98% of the population now have access to primary health care services.” 

The projects have supported ambitious health care reforms since 2006 and have already secured a number of lasting benefits for the people of Kyrgyzstan including:

• The introduction of a national Health Insurance Fund and a payment system to help improve deliver of health care – for the patient this means getting medical help more quickly while the health centre can be sure to be appropriately paid for the treatment;
• The creation of Family Group Practices that provide primary health care through family doctors – the original system included an extensive network of specialists but no general practitioners or health workers trained in family medicine; and
• Reducing the excessive and inefficient hospital infrastructure.  This has been very difficult but has resulted in freeing money for salaries and supplies, and given hospitals more independent control over their own budgets.

Skills and capacity at the Ministry of Health have also been improved through project activities and expert advice provided by donors over the life of the two projects.

More than 85% of the population are now covered by the insurance fund and more than 98% have access to primary health care. The issue of health reform now has its rightful place on the country’s political agenda and the creation of a nationwide network of Village Health Committees is helping a shift to more prevention and health promotion work as part of the overall strategy.

Reforms continue 

“New plans aim to help the poorest 40% of people in the region to spend less and less on health care.”

DFID has been working in the Kyrgyz Republic, one of the two poorest countries in Central Asia, since 1997. Reform of the health system has been an integral part of DFID’s work in the region and the Central Asia team are delighted that the World Bank has formally recognised the success of these projects.

This award comes just weeks after the launch of our new Development Strategy for the Region which includes plans to continue to help the poorest 40% of households to reduce the amount they have to spend on health care.