World Bank Approves Health Resilience Project to Protect Lives and Strengthen Emergency Response in Mozambique

Zawya

8 hours ago

The World Bank has approved the Mozambique Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience Project, an initiative to strengthen the health system's ability to deliver essential services consistently and equitably. The project targets underserved and climate-vulnerable areas by investing in human resources, infrastructure, and systems that ensure continuity of care during emergencies. This project is part of a regional p rogram to strengthen health security across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Mozambique faces frequent floods, cyclones, disease outbreaks, and other emergencies that disrupt health services and put lives at risk. Many communities lack sufficient and trained health workers, access to essential medicines, and the tools to detect and respond quickly to crises. The project seeks to address these gaps by:
Strengthening the health workforce capacity, particularly in high-risk areas, by improving recruitment, training, and retention systems;
Improving pharmaceutical supply chains by supporting the regulatory agency in bringing more transparency and speed to procurement processes, lowering and standardizing prices of health commodities to ensure access to medicines, particularly during crises; and
Enhancing disease surveillance and laboratory capacity to improve early warning and response systems to quickly detect and respond to health emergencies like cholera outbreaks or heatwaves.
The project also supports the development of climate-adaptive infrastructure and emergency preparedness plans, recognizing the growing health risks posed by climate change.
' Mozambique is already experiencing the health impacts of shocks and emergencies,' noted Luc Lecuit, World Bank Acting Division Director in Mozambique. 'The program supports the government's efforts to strengthen core health service delivery by investing in preparedness and resilience, ensuring services remain operational during floods, storms, and epidemics.'
Financed through a $201 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA)*, the initiative will be implemented over five years, concluding in September 2030.
'By prioritizing practical investments in the foundational pillars of the health sector, the Government of Mozambique is driving greater efficiency across the system and strengthening its emergency response capacity to protect lives,' said João Pires, World Bank Senior Health Specialist and Task Team Leader. 'These efforts are paving the way for bold reforms to ensure the health system remains resilient and responsive, even under pressure.'
In parallel, the World Bank, together with other development partners, is increasing its support to the Mozambique health sector through a $63.7 million top-up to the ongoing District and Community Health Services Revitalization Project. This additional financing—comprising $8.7 million from IDA, $5 million from the Global Financing Facility, and $50 million from a multi-donor trust fund supported by Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland—will expand the project's impact across the most vulnerable 63 districts of Mozambique. The operation focuses on improving access to quality primary health care, particularly for women, children, and adolescents, and strengthening service delivery at the district and community levels.
Both projects align with the forthcoming Mozambique's Health Sector Strategic Plan (PESS, 2025-2034) (PESS 2020–2024) and the National Adaptation Plan (2023), and complement regional efforts to strengthen health security across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.