SPECIAL FEATURE
THE OPEC FUND AND UGANDA'S HEART INSTITUTE
The OPEC Fund is supporting the construction and equipment of the Uganda Heart Institute in the nation’s capital Kampala. The facility will serve not only the four million people living in and near Kampala, but Uganda’s entire population of some 40 million by offering increased access to cardiovascular services from currently 12,000 patients to over 60,000 patients per year.
PHOTO: Kehinde Olufemi Akinbo/Shutterstock.com
The OPEC Fund & SDG 3 Long before the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the fundamental importance of public health, the OPEC Fund had made healthcare one of the priorities of its activities. Over the years the institution has provided more than US$1.1 billion to the sector in developing countries, supporting the development of primary to tertiary healthcare and training facilities, manufacturing of medical supplies and increasing the number of hospital beds. When the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic, the OPEC Fund moved immediately in support of governments and the private sector – announcing a US$1 billion response program. Sovereign loans were directed initially towards emergency relief efforts, for example the purchase of medical supplies such as testing kits and laboratory equipment. Later the OPEC Fund focused both in the public and private sector on minimizing the economic disruption caused by the pandemic: ensuring access to capital for small and medium- sized enterprises sustained employment levels and created new jobs, while strengthening supply chains helped maintain international trade and promote connectivity.
result, immunization coverage dropped for the first time in 10 years, and deaths from TB and malaria increased. The UN stresses that urgent and concerted action is needed to set the world back on a trajectory towards achieving SDG 3. What should countries focus on in the post-pandemic era to improve health systems? “Healthcare needs to be prioritized within government spending. The funds, domestic or external, need to focus on the building blocks of healthcare such as strong
surveillance and monitoring, primary healthcare and robust supply chains. Another fundamental building block is decentralized manufacturing of medical measures,” says Mamta Murthi, Acting Managing Director of Development Policy & Partnerships and Vice President for Human Development at the World Bank. COVID-19 highlighted the need for increased investments at country and international levels to recover the health systems and improve primary care to achieve the health-related goals.
Funds need to focus on the building blocks of healthcare such as strong surveillance and monitoring, primary healthcare and robust supply chains.
Mamta Murthi, World Bank, Acting Managing Director of Development Policy & Partnerships and Vice President for Human Development
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PHOTO: World Bank
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