Kerala is set to receive a major boost to its healthcare system. This comes as the World Bank has approved a $280 million programme to strengthen the state’s health system. The focus will be on the elderly and vulnerable groups.

The initiative, called the Kerala Health System Improvement Programme, aims to improve healthcare quality for over 11 million people. It will expand digital health services and enhance data integration. Moreover, it will bolster cybersecurity, while addressing key gaps in non-communicable disease treatment. These include conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer.

The plan includes introducing home-based care for bedridden and elderly patients. It will also upgrade emergency and trauma care for 8.5 million people and improve women’s health services. The World Bank said it aims to increase controlled hypertension patients by 40%. In addition, they plan to boost cervical and breast cancer screenings by 60%.

Local bodies — from municipal corporations to gram panchayats — will play a key role in implementing the programme. They will ensure better treatment standards, antibiotic use, and responses to disease outbreaks. The project also integrates climate resilience measures into health centres across Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kasaragod, Palakkad, and Alappuzha districts.

The $280 million loan, extended through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), will be repayable over 25 years.

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