Investments in health are a major driver of economic growth and job creation. By enhancing human capital and supporting productive, resilient populations, health services fuel economies and create millions of jobs, laying the foundation for stronger, more prosperous societies.
The World Bank Group has set an ambitious goal to expand health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030. This effort includes redesigning primary care, scaling national insurance programs, expanding local manufacturing of essential health supplies, supporting regulatory reforms, and training healthcare workers, all aimed at enabling countries to fully realize their economic potential.
The Health System Transformation & Resilience Fund (HSTRF) is the World Bank’s primary trust fund vehicle to achieve this goal. It supports countries in providing quality, affordable health services by pooling donor contributions, consolidating external financing, and aligning investments with national plans. The fund emphasizes country leadership, cost-effective financing, streamlined operations, and cross-sector collaboration, reducing duplication and enhancing the impact of World Bank investments through integrated, country-tailored solutions.
The HSTRF tailors its support to regional priorities. In Eastern and Southern Africa, it focuses on strengthening public health institutions, training health workers, and scaling innovations through public–private partnerships in response to COVID-19‑related gaps. In West and Central Africa, the fund targets reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health, while building resilience to epidemics and climate shocks.
In East Asia and the Pacific, support emphasizes primary-care-centered delivery and climate-resilient, emergency-ready public health systems to address both infectious and non-communicable diseases. Europe and Central Asia focus on long-term care models, improving health financing, and bringing services closer to people to address aging populations and high NCD burdens.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the fund seeks to tackle inequities and underfunding by mobilizing additional financing, engaging the private sector, and leveraging digital health innovations. In the Middle East and North Africa, priorities include health financing reform, expanding coverage, and strengthening resilience to climate and emergency shocks. South Asia focuses on strengthening primary healthcare delivery and improving budget efficiency in densely populated areas.
