New Project to Boost Tunisia's Health System and Pandemic Response

Zawya

2 days ago

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors today approved US$125.16 million in financing — including a US$17.16 million grant from the Pandemic Fund — to support Tunisia's efforts in enhancing access to resilient, quality, and responsive health services through the Tunisia Health System Strengthening Project.
This nationwide initiative aims to improve pandemic preparedness and emergency care, modernize primary healthcare services, and strengthen governance and digitalization across the public health system. The project supports Tunisia's National Health Policy (PNS), a government-led reform strategy centered on improving equitable access to care and prioritizing preventive and protective health services.
'By strengthening the resilience and responsiveness of Tunisia's health system, this project will help ensure that all Tunisians, particularly the most vulnerable, can access timely, quality care,' said Alexandre Arrobbio, World Bank Country Manager for Tunisia. 'It builds on a solid partnership that delivered impactful results during the COVID-19 crisis — from protective equipment and vaccine rollout to medical oxygen, digital platforms, and upgraded hospitals and labs. Today, we are scaling up these efforts to support nationwide health service delivery and readiness for future pandemics, in close collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization.'
The Tunisia Health System Strengthening Project aims to reach the entire population by improving access to critical care, emergency services, and hospital-based interventions. It will also directly benefit frontline health workers through enhanced training in disease surveillance, field epidemiology, emergency care, and digital systems such as electronic medical records. Aligned with Tunisia's broader development goals, the project aims to help the country strengthen public health preparedness and ensure continuity and quality of essential services.
Through three interlinked components, the project will fortify the health system by developing One Health surveillance systems and bolstering laboratory and public health infrastructure, ensuring robust monitoring and response capabilities. Secondly, it will reorganize community-level health services by promoting family medicine, strengthening facility capacity aligned with needs, and expanding telemedicine and patient electronic health records, thereby improving accessibility and continuity of care. Lastly, the project will advance urgent care and hospital infrastructure by upgrading ambulance fleets, implementing geographically-mapped dispatch systems, and enhancing hospital-based triage and bed management technologies, ensuring efficient and integrated service delivery.
'Tunisia is stepping up efforts to improve health service delivery, aiming to ensure better access and greater equity in care,' said Yassine Kalboussi, Health Specialist at the World Bank and Task Team Leader for the project. 'This project will support the technological and structural transformation of the health system, enhance workforce capacity, and improve service quality, especially in underserved areas.'
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.