World Bank Approves $225 Million to Improve Health, Nutrition, and Early Childhood Services for Millions in Côte d'Ivoire

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2026 - The World Bank today approved $225 million in financing to help Côte d'Ivoire improve the delivery of quality health, nutrition, and early childhood development services for millions of people, particularly for women, children, and vulnerable households. The financing consists of a $200 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) and $25 million in grants from the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF).

As the second phase of the Health, Nutrition, and Early Childhood Development Multiphase Programmatic Approach, this new project builds upon the successful expansion of health insurance enrollment achieved in the first phase. The program focuses on improving the delivery of care and access to services, ensuring that the country's Universal Health Insurance (couverture maladie universelle (CMU)) system is supported by a robust network of trained health professionals, availability of essential medical supplies, and well-equipped facilities.

"This new phase is about delivering on the promise of universal health coverage for the people of Côte d'Ivoire," said Marie-Chantal Uwanyiligira, World Bank Division Director for Cote d'Ivoire, Benin, Guinea and Togo. "It's a crucial shift from ensuring people have health insurance to making sure they can access quality care when they need it. By building a resilient health system and deploying innovative digital solutions, we are laying the foundation for stronger human capital, fostering economic opportunities, and ensuring every child gets the best possible start in life."

The program is expected to have a wide-reaching impact, directly benefiting millions of people living in Côte d'Ivoire. By 2028, over 1.2 million people enrolled in the CMU, including informal workers and farmers vulnerable to climate shocks, are expected to actively use health services each year. The World Bank and the GFF will also help the country provide nutrition services for nearly one million children under five and early childhood development services for more than 730,000 children. Women and poor households will benefit from reduced out-of-pocket health payments and improved access to primary care.

Furthermore, the program will foster significant economic opportunities by generating approximately 385,000 job-equivalents. This includes creating 17,000 direct jobs through the training and deployment of health workers, community nutrition staff, and digital health system operators, and generating an additional 368,000 indirect jobs through improved health outcomes and higher productivity.

Key innovations in this phase include the deployment of a national digital health platform to improve system efficiency, the institutionalization of performance-based financing for primary health facilities, and support for hybrid public-private partnerships for laboratory and imaging services. The program will also embed climate smart and energy efficiency standards in health infrastructure to build a sustainable health system.