World Bank gives $257 m for poverty alleviation and roads

The World Bank has given Uganda a total of US $257 million in grants and loans to fund poverty alleviation and road improvement projects in the East African country, the bank said in a statement. "The World Bank approved an International Development Association grant of $150 million to improve welfare and advance the poverty reduction initiatives of the government of Uganda," the statement said. Another $107.6 million - $67.6 million in credit and $40 million in a grant - will be used for road improvement, it added. The grants, made available under the Poverty Reduction Support Operation, "will help sharpen the focus on gender, infant and maternal mortality, and lay an emphasis on attaining concrete results," the bank said. Funds earmarked for the strengthening of infrastructure would be used to improve roads in economically productive rural areas. The bank said its aim was to support the government's poverty alleviation efforts by "providing knowledge and technical advice on the implementation of Uganda's poverty reduction reforms, with a major focus on improving service delivery in education, health, water and sanitation, as well as in rural development". Emphasis will also be on enhancing access to universal primary education, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and strengthening the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria. Some of the funds will also be used to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation services.