Washington, May 28, 2025 — The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a US$125.16 million financing package for Tunisia, which includes a US$17.16 million grant from the Pandemic Fund. This funding aims to help Tunisia enhance access to resilient, high-quality health services through the Tunisia Health System Strengthening Project.
The nationwide project is designed to improve the country’s preparedness for future pandemics, modernize primary healthcare, and strengthen the governance and digital infrastructure of Tunisia’s public health system. It aligns with Tunisia’s National Health Policy (PNS), a reform initiative focused on providing equitable care and prioritizing preventive and protective health services.
Alexandre Arrobbio, the World Bank’s Country Manager for Tunisia, emphasized the importance of the project, stating, “By strengthening the resilience and responsiveness of Tunisia’s health system, this project will help ensure that all Tunisians, particularly the most vulnerable, can access timely, quality care.” He noted that the initiative builds on successful collaborations during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the distribution of protective equipment, vaccine rollout, medical oxygen, and the upgrading of hospitals and labs. The project expands these efforts to improve nationwide health service delivery and prepare for future health emergencies, working closely with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Tunisia Health System Strengthening Project will benefit the entire population by enhancing access to critical care, emergency services, and hospital interventions. The project will also improve training for frontline health workers in areas like disease surveillance, field epidemiology, emergency care, and digital tools, such as electronic medical records. The initiative aligns with Tunisia’s broader development goals of enhancing public health preparedness and ensuring the continuity and quality of essential health services.
The project is divided into three key components:
- Strengthening Health Systems: This includes developing One Health surveillance systems, improving laboratory and public health infrastructure, and enhancing monitoring and response capabilities.
- Reorganizing Community Health Services: The project will promote family medicine, upgrade facilities to meet specific needs, expand telemedicine, and introduce patient electronic health records, improving both access and continuity of care.
- Advancing Urgent Care and Hospital Infrastructure: This will include upgrading ambulance fleets, implementing advanced dispatch systems, and improving hospital-based triage and bed management, ensuring more efficient service delivery.
Yassine Kalboussi, Health Specialist at the World Bank and Task Team Leader for the project, highlighted the importance of these efforts: “Tunisia is stepping up efforts to improve health service delivery, aiming to ensure better access and greater equity in care. This project will support the technological and structural transformation of the health system, enhance workforce capacity, and improve service quality, especially in underserved areas.”
With this new funding, Tunisia is poised to significantly improve its healthcare system, benefiting both health workers and the population at large.
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