World Bank approves $110m loan for accessible healthcare in Armenia

The funding will support mandatory health insurance and an external reference pricing mechanism.

The World Bank has approved a loan of approximately $110m (EUR102m) for Armenia’s Enabling Universal Health Coverage Programme to improve primary healthcare, ensure accessible services, and increase government spending efficiency.

“Armenia’s high private health care costs are an outlier in the world with adverse effects on the quality of services provided to citizens. Ongoing reforms intend to create better financial and regulatory incentives for the provision of quality healthcare,” Carolin Geginat, World Bank Country Manager for Armenia, said. 

The approved operation will utilise a Programme-for-Results (PforR) financing instrument, which links the disbursement of funds directly to the achievement of specific program results.

Moreover, it will support health reforms including the introduction of mandatory health insurance and the adoption of an external reference pricing mechanism. 

“The broader reform has the potential for fundamentally altering the disease patterns within the Armenian population and making health care more affordable for the population,” Geginat added.