Guyana gets $1.6B to tackle maternal, infant mortality
– to benefit over 140,000 women, 9000 newborns annually
With Guyana currently experiencing one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced Thursday that it has approved a $1.6 billion loan to fund a programme to help reduce maternal, perinatal and neonatal deaths in the country.
The Bank in a statement said that the programme, which seeks to improve the quality of care at 140 health facilities across Guyana, will benefit some 140,000 women and 9000 babies annually.
The project will draw from the IDB’s experiences with the Mesoamerican Health Initiative and incorporates lessons learnt from evidence-based biomedical and operational interventions
It pointed out that despite progress achieved during the last decade, Guyana’s maternal and infant mortality rates remain among the highest in the Region, with a maternal mortality rate estimated at 121 per 1000 live births and an infant mortality rate of 22 per 1000 live births.
“Given that about 93 per cent of deaths in children less than one year of age occurred in the neonatal period, the programme will support and improve maternal and child healthcare with a focus on improving access to quality neonatal health services and providing a better path to and quality of reproductive and maternal health services.,” the regional institution said.
The IDB said that the operation draws from the IDB’s experiences with the Mesoamerican Health Initiative and incorporates lessons learnt from evidence-based biomedical and operational interventions. It will closely monitor results to ensure that those interventions can contribute to the success of the programme.
The total cost of the project is $1.6 billion (US$8 million), of which $800 million will come from the IDB’s ordinary capital resources and $800 million from the Fund for Special Operations (FSO) of the Bank.
The loan from the Bank’s ordinary capital has a six-year grace period and a 30-year term, while the FSO funding has a term of 40 years with a 40-year grace period and a fixed annual rate of 0.25 per cent.
The IDB is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Bank also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance and training to Public and Private Sector clients throughout the Region.
