Announcement of Senegal to Improve Health Services in Rural Areas with IDA Assistance on December 20, 1982

.,World Bank 1fJ18 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.•Telephone: (202) 477-1.234 IDA NEWS RELEASE NO. 83/31 Contact: Pam Brennan Dec~,mber 20, 1982 ( 20~) 47 7-5344 SENEGAL TO IMPROVE HEALTH SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS WITH IDA ASSISTANCE Senegal will borrow SDR 14. 2 million ( $15 million) for providing improved basic health care in rural areas, the International Development Association (IDA) announced today. Senegal is the first country in Western Africa to receive assistance for a health project from the World Bank's affiliate for concessionary lending. The demand for better health care services in Senegal (population: 5.7 million) is outstripping the ability of the country's public health system to provide them·. The $16. 7 million health project will introduce a package of basic health services in all of Senegal'~ 36 health centers enabling them to provide family planning and maternal and child health services. Five health centers will be reha'bilitated and four others renovated. These centers provide service to about 600,000 people. To improve the quality of health care, in-service training will be provided to all health center staff, and to about 2,000 community health workers in the ' country. Practical training will be provided for about 50 final-year or recently graduated medical students who are expected to serve in the health centers. The project will also improve the supply and use of basic drugs throughout th~ country and assist the Ministry of Health in the development of a national pharmar..:eutical policy. The Ministry's primary health care planning, implementation, and evaluation capability will also be strengthened. Construction as well as equipment and training materials for a small national hea)th education center will be provided to develop and disseminate public health in':t,.irmation. The project is expected to have a direct impact on reducing infant mortality levels below the current estimate of 204 per 1,000 live births in many rural areas, and maternal mortality below the present 550 deaths per 100,000 live births. The IDA credit is for 50 years, including 10 years of grace; it carries no interest but bears a small annual service charge (0.5% on the undisbursed balances and O. 7 5% on the disbursed balances). NOTE: IDA credits are denominated in SDRs (Special Drawing Rights), which are valued on the basis of a "basket" of currencies. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the SDR amount of the IDA credit reflects the exchange rates existing at the time of negotiation of the credit. I