The World Bank has approved a USD 280 million programme to enhance healthcare access and resilience in Kerala, targeting better life expectancy and quality of life for 11 million elderly and vulnerable residents in the state.
In a statement released on Friday, the multilateral agency said the Kerala Health System Improvement Program aims to build a comprehensive, climate-resilient health system while expanding digital healthcare capabilities. This includes strengthening e-Health services, integrating data systems, and enhancing cyber security measures.
The funding, provided through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), carries a 25-year repayment term with a five-year grace period.
The programme seeks to ensure that over 90 per cent of registered patients with hypertension and diabetes are treated and monitored through electronic tracking systems. It will also establish a home-based care network for bed-bound, home-bound, and vulnerable elderly individuals to deliver continuous healthcare support.
Kerala’s sustained health achievements reflected in its low neonatal (3.4), infant (4.4), under-five (5.2 per 1,000 live births), and maternal mortality (19 per 100,000 live births) rates form a strong foundation for the new initiative, the World Bank noted.
“Good health empowers people, creates jobs, and fuels economic growth,” said Paul Procee, the World Bank’s Acting Country Director for India. “This programme will promote women’s health critical in a state where educational attainment among women is among the highest in India by increasing the number of patients with controlled hypertension by 40 per cent and boosting cervical and breast cancer screenings by 60 per cent.”
The programme will also work with local governance bodies, including gram panchayats and municipal corporations, to standardize antibiotic use protocols and strengthen responses to zoonotic disease outbreaks through faster and more reliable laboratory data sharing.
Primary health facilities in Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kasaragod, Palakkad, and Alappuzha will adopt climate-resilient measures to improve energy efficiency and manage risks from heatwaves and flooding.
“Kerala has embraced the One Health approach, building on earlier World Bank-supported initiatives to establish strong community-based surveillance systems,” said Deepika Chaudhery and Hikuepi Katjiuongua, the programme’s Task Team Leaders. “This programme will expand healthcare coverage for the elderly and help build a robust trauma and emergency care network, ensuring timely and quality services for 8.5 million people.”
