World Bank's financing, priorities, and lending structures for global health

Abstract

In the first article of a series, Devi Sridhar, Janelle Winters, and Eleanor Strong describe how the World Bank has used its influence to catalyse change in global health

Fig 1 Funds contributed for health to the World Bank, relative to other major health organisations. *Gavi, the vaccine alliance and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria are both financed by customised trust funds—financial intermediary funds (FIFs)—held at the World Bank. The World Bank financial data are collected and released by fiscal year (1 July to 30 June), while the Gavi, Global Fund, and World Health Organization data follow the calendar year. (IBRD=International Bank for Reconstruction and Development; IDA=International Development Association)

Fig 2 Timeline of health, nutrition, and population (HNP) in the World Bank (adapted from13) (DALY= disability adjusted life year; IDA=International Development Association; UHC=universal health coverage; WDR=World Development Report)

Fig 3 Total health, nutrition, and population (HNP) funding over the past 30 years

Fig 4 Tracked relative spending for health, nutrition, and population (HNP) categories over the past 30 years (RMNCH=reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health; WASH=water, sanitation, and hygiene)

Fig 5 Average funding allocation per project from 1985 to 2015 according to each health, nutrition, and population (HNP) category (RMNCH=reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health; WASH= water, sanitation, and hygiene)