World Bank Group Support to Health Services

A large share of the world’s population today has access to health services, but the health needs of a great segment of the global population remain unmet. In 2013, more than 400 million people worldwide were not receiving at least one of the seven essential health services identified as priority areas in the Millennium Development Goals. Demographic and epidemiological changes, the increasing importance of noncommunicable diseases, the effects of climate change and natural disasters, and the surge of pandemic threats compound an already challenging situation in many countries. Challenges to health services are exacerbated further in countries facing fragile and conflict-affected situations. This evaluation aims to assess the roles and contributions of the World Bank Group in supporting health services in client countries. It also seeks to provide lessons and recommendations for achieving greater development effectiveness in future support to health services. This evaluation aims to fill an evaluative evidence gap in the health sector. It is the first comprehensive health sector evaluation carried out by the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) since 2009. This evaluation also complements the 2014 IEG health financing evaluation, which examined how World Bank Group support to revenue collection for health, pooling of health funds and risks, and health financing reforms have improved equity in health financing and service use, financial protection, and efficiency.