The Islamic
Development Bank (IsDB) is financing $10 million to the World Health
Organization (WHO) for the Health Impact Investment Platform, according to a
joint statement by the bank and the WHO on Tuesday.
The financing
was signed at the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan,
which started on Monday.
The WHO said
the Health Impact Investment Platform is a collaboration opportunity for
multilateral development banks like the IsDB and the organization to find
solutions for low- and middle-income countries in health care and
climate-related issues.
The countries
in phase one of the platform are Burundi, the Central African Republic,
Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Jordan, Maldives, Morocco,
Senegal, South Sudan, Gambia, Tunisia, and Zambia, according to the WHO.
The WHO aims to
reinforce resilience against the climate crisis by developing plans across the
region included in the Health Impact Investment Platform to combat climate
change, and make some “10,000 health facilities fully functional, including
with solar electrification.”
The
organization stated that the IsDB’s financing is estimated to unlock at least
$500 million in health investments, and the goal is to raise a total of $1.5
billion in concessional loans and financing to “address national health
priorities.”
“The Islamic
Development Bank is proud to support the Health Impact Investment Platform as
part of our unwavering commitment to advancing universal health coverage and
resilience in our Member Countries,” said IsDB President Muhammad Al Jasser.
“These
Multilateral Development Banks and WHO partnerships enable us to scale up
primary health care where it is needed most, creating a stronger foundation to
withstand future crises and addressing the pressing health challenges of
today.”