ADB to help strengthen Mongolia’s health sector and response to COVID-19
SocietyUlaanbaatar/MONTSAME/. On March 30, the Asian Development
Bank (ADB) approved a $100 million loan to strengthen Mongolia’s health sector
and its response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
“Mongolia remains vulnerable to COVID-19 and other emerging
diseases. A surge in infections would strain the health system and result in a
shortage of quarantine facilities, necessary equipment, drugs, and other
essential resources,” said ADB Director General for East Asia James Lynch. “The
project will expedite the medium-term reforms that will strengthen the health
system and help Mongolia become better prepared to respond to future health crises.”
The government initiated stringent emergency measures to
prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia. These actions delayed
community spread. However, the government estimates about 60% of the population
is at high risk of infection. According to a 2017 World Health Organization
evaluation, Mongolia’s core capacities relating to pandemic preparedness are
limited, suggesting Mongolia is ill-prepared for a surge of COVID-19 or a
similar pandemic.
Mongolia’s health system urgently requires new regulations
for medicines. The prevalence of substandard (10.1%), unregistered (4.3%), and
falsified (0.8%) medicines in Mongolia is also one of the highest in the world.
Pharmaceutical regulation is also highly fragmented. Pharmaceutical
inefficiencies also lead to significant constraints as Mongolia rolls out its
COVID-19 vaccination program.
The project will focus on four reform areas: strengthening
planning and preparedness of the health sector, and ensuring the availability
of critical medicines and emergency supplies; improving national pharmaceutical
regulation, and increasing hospital autonomy and good governance; enhancing
procurement in the health sector to increase efficiency, and establishing a
single purchaser for health services; and safeguarding fiscal sustainability of
the government over the next 3–5 years.
To strengthen planning capacity and preparedness of the
health sector, the government will develop an integrated incident management
system that coordinates across multiple systems and organizational structures
during health emergencies. The government will also develop an intersectoral
management information database that will facilitate data sharing during
disasters.
ADB is one of Mongolia’s long-standing and key partners in
the health sector. Since 1993, investments have supported the government in
critical health system reforms including several major laws passed by the
Mongolian parliament and high-priority investment projects.
ADB has also provided comprehensive support to Mongolia during
the COVID-19 pandemic, including grants
to procure emergency health equipment, a $30
million loan to support disease control in the health sector, a $73
million loan in March 2021 to improve social welfare support for the
poor and vulnerable, a $26.4
million loan to strengthen social protection measures for vulnerable
groups, and technical assistance to strengthen
the capacity of the domestic violence response in the country. In
addition, $100
million was provided under ADB’s Comprehensive Response to the
COVID-19 Pandemic to support the government to manage the economic impact and
respond to the health and social protection needs the pandemic has created. ADB
is considering a vaccine support project, to be financed from its Asia
Pacific Vaccine Access Facility.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive,
resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts
to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49
from the region.
Source: ADB