World Bank Approves $286 Mn Digital Health Overhaul for West Bengal

A core component involves statewide digital tracking of hypertension and diabetes for people over the age of 30, enabling continuity of care, real-time monitoring, and more accurate measurement of outcomes.

The World Bank has approved a $286 million financing package for West Bengal to modernise its health system through a large-scale digital health reform that links funding to measurable outcomes in healthcare.

The financing supports the West Bengal Health System Reform Program, aiming to deliver more equitable, patient-centric, and climate-resilient healthcare for over 90 million residents.

“This program will deliver more equitable and higher-quality health services with measurable results,” said Paul Procee, World Bank Acting Country Director for India. “By linking financing to outcomes and strengthening governance and climate resilience, it addresses systemic constraints that have held back health gains for vulnerable communities.”

The new program seeks to address these gaps by embedding digital health systems into primary care. A core component involves statewide digital tracking of hypertension and diabetes for people over the age of 30, enabling continuity of care, real-time monitoring, and more accurate measurement of outcomes.

By strengthening primary-level services through digital health platforms, the initiative aims to reduce avoidable complications and long-term costs associated with non-communicable diseases.

Alongside digital health interventions for NCDs, the program places renewed emphasis on maternal and adolescent health, particularly in districts such as Purulia, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Maldah, and Uttar Dinajpur, where access and outcomes remain weak.

“Strengthening the continuum of care at the primary level through measures like control of hypertension and diabetes is central to bending the NCD curve,” said Rahul Pandey and Meghna Sharma, Task Team Leaders of the programme.

Recognizing climate risks, the program also invests in climate-resilient healthcare infrastructure to ensure service continuity during floods, heatwaves, and other extreme weather events.

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development loan carries a 16.5-year maturity with a three-year grace period, reflecting a long-term commitment to sustainable digital health reform and system-wide resilience.

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