The African Development Fund (ADF), a soft loan arm of the African Development Bank Group, has approved US $5.3 million in loans and grants to boost basic health services in Djibouti; focusing on improving the health of mothers, their children, and the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The effort is part of a five-year programme, starting in 2001, aimed at poor families. In a statement, the ADF said the by improving the health of the population school enrolment and productivity should increase.
"The objective of the project is to improve the quality of mother and child health services, the surveillance and control of communicable diseases and particularly reduce the risk of contamination from HIV and sexually transmissible infections," the ADF stated.
The funds will also be used to buy essential drugs, and help build as well as equip a national blood transfusion centre.
Since its engagement with Djibouti in 1979, the African bank has made available $102 million of credit of which $87 million has been spent.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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