World Bank to support Kazakhstan’s healthcare system with $46 million grant

The World Bank’s Pandemic Fund has provided Kazakhstan a three-year grant of $46 million, according to the country’s health ministry.

«Kazakhstan has become one of 36 countries in the World Health Organizartion (WHO) European Region provided with a country grant of $19 million and a multicounty grant of $27 million for three years,» the ministry said in a statement.

This money will be allocated for improving epidemiological control, border control, lab safety, a system of early identification and response, and training for personnel. The WHO Country Office in Kazakhstan is going to coordinate the implementation of the grant and provide overall technical support to the Ministry of Healthcare of Kazakhstan.

The World Bank established the Pandemic Fund in September 2022; it is led by the WHO. The fund finances critical investments to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response capacities at national, regional, and global levels, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. It is meant to cover crucial loopholes at national, regional and global levels with the help of investments and technical support.

The fund was established with the support of G20 member states. China, Canada, Australia, the EU Commission, Indonesia, Germany, India, South Africa, Spain, the UAE, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome Trust, among others, have also pledged to financially support the entity.