World Bank gives in to Swedish concerns about new health fund

The World Bank has presented a new fund for maternal health, the GFF, as a massive USD 12 billion initiative. But it is not clear where all this money will come from. The original plan to lock GFF grants into IDA funding was toned down due to objections from Sweden.

DT has learned that the bank intends to ask donors to provide guarantees for commercial IBRD loans to the health sector in the poorest countries. Such a set-up has not been tried before. Save the Children worries that this could increase indebtedness.