Spain provides €100M guarantee for World Bank project to repair healthcare infrastructure in Ukraine

The Government of Spain is providing a €100 million guarantee for a World Bank project aimed at repairing healthcare infrastructure and strengthening primary healthcare in Ukraine.

The Health Enhancement and Life-Saving (HEAL Ukraine) Project is helping the Ukrainian authorities to repair primary health and hospital infrastructure, scale-up mental health and rehabilitation services, catch-up on childhood immunizations, restore access to affordable medicines, and expand e-health.

Meeting on the sidelines of the first G20 Finance Ministers & Central Bank Governors under the G20 Indian Presidency in Bengaluru, India, World Bank Group President David Malpass and First Vice President and Minister for the Economy and Digitalization Nadia Calviño discussed support to Ukraine.

“Russian attacks are inflicting brutal human suffering while decimating the very health infrastructure needed to respond to that suffering and meet the country’s basic health needs,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass. “This project is helping the Government of Ukraine improve access to primary healthcare and address new health challenges brought on by the war. We are pleased by the Government of Spain’s support and contribution to this critical initiative.”

“Spain’s contribution to the World Bank project will reinforce health infrastructures and save lives in Ukraine. We are strongly committed to a united and coordinated response at global level to bring back peace in Ukraine,” said the Spanish Vice President Nadia Calviño.

This health project, approved by the World Bank in December 2022, is mobilizing partner resources through an innovative framework approach. The €100 million guarantee from Spain is complemented by $10 million from the Global Financing Facility and a further $10 million grant by the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund (URTF). Given the growing needs in the health sector, the project aims to raise $500 million.

Ukraine’s healthcare needs are staggering. As of January 2023, 6 percent of the country’s healthcare facilities were damaged. Immunization among children under one year-of-age was down 20 percentage points by November 2022. Almost a third of people in Ukraine reported that they couldn’t afford necessary medicines in September 2022. Some 10 million people are at risk of mental disorders, such as acute stress, anxiety, depression, substance use and post-traumatic stress disorder. War-related injuries have led to a significant increase in the need for rehabilitation services.

The project has a strong focus on addressing women’s vulnerability during war. In the two months since the project’s approval, 500 healthcare workers have been trained in treating victims of rape and other forms of gender-based violence.

The Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund (URTF) was set up by the World Bank to coordinate grant financing for sustaining Ukraine’s government functions, delivering services, and implementing relief efforts. The URTF is a flexible platform that allows the World Bank to prioritize and channel funding to the most urgent development needs identified by the Ukrainian government, with current contributions from Austria, Iceland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.

To date, the World Bank has mobilized more than $18 billion in emergency financing for Ukraine, including commitments and pledges from donors. More than $17 billion of this financing has been disbursed See a full list of total World Bank Group mobilized financing for Ukraine.