World Bank gives US $40 million to support health-sector NGOs

The World Bank has allocated US $40 million in support of the work of six health-sector NGOs to benefit an estimated 10 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to a Bank representative, Onno Ruhl. "The contribution should ensure access to basic health care and medicines," Ruhl told IRIN on Thursday, noting that the targeted health areas were located along the Matadi-Lubumbashi axis, following Route nationale 1. The six NGOs signed an agreement on 24 January with the Bureau Centrale de Coordination (Bceco), the government body charged with ensuring the execution of international aid projects. "La Cooperation technique belge, Medicus Mundi, Memisa Belgique, l'Eglise du Christ au Congo, Horizon Sante and Cemubac are the NGOs we selected because of their performance in health zone interventions. Among other things, their work will consist of rehabilitating health centre buildings and supplying equipment and medicines," Gabin Kifukiau, head of public relations for Bceco, told IRIN. The NGOs will identify the needs of the health centres they support in order to determine the most appropriate form of assistance. This financing by the World Bank is part of the Programme Multisectoriel d'Urgence de Rehabilitation et de Reconstruction (PMURR), the total value of which is $98 million, from which $44 million has been allocated to the health sector. "The remaining $4 million will be allocated in the near future," Ruhl said. According to the Bceco, the PMURR is an initiative focused on the domains of agriculture, social services (such as health and education), transport, communication and community development.