The Tunisian Health Minister, Mustapha Ferjani, recently met with a delegation from the World Bank visiting Tunisia, led by Alexandre Arrobbio, the institution’s representative in Tunisia, and Michele Gragnolati, Director for Health, Nutrition, and Population for the Middle East and North Africa region.
This meeting, attended by several ministry officials, was part of a World Bank mission in Tunisia from November 4th to 8th, 2024, aimed at launching a new cooperation initiative worth 125 million dollars.
This project aims to strengthen the Tunisian health system, in collaboration with the Global Fund to Fight Epidemics, with implementation scheduled for 2025, as stated in a ministry release.
The discussions focused on several key priorities for the sector. Firstly, emergency and epidemic preparedness: the project plans to enhance the capabilities of the Ministry’s Strategic Operations Center and improve epidemiological surveillance with modernized data collection and analysis systems. This component also includes the development of health data management tools, human resource governance, bolstering rapid response teams, and supporting laboratories, including the creation of reference labs for diagnostics.
The second focus of the project is on the development of primary healthcare. This involves restructuring first-line care by strengthening prevention and screening programs, modernizing primary care centers, and expanding digitalization for more accurate patient tracking. Solar-powered equipment will also be installed in priority areas to ensure better coverage.
Lastly, enhancing hospital and emergency services is another priority. This includes expanding mobile emergency departments, acquiring new ambulances, managing and maintaining high-tech medical equipment, and setting up an integrated hospital information system.
