The World Bank Board of Directors has approved a new program to improve the life expectancy and quality of life of 1.1 crore elderly and vulnerable people in Kerala through broader access to healthcare coverage and resilient healthcare systems.
The $280 million Kerala Health System Improvement Program will build a more comprehensive healthcare system that can withstand climate shocks. It will also strengthen the state’s digital health systems through comprehensive e-health services, integrated data platforms and enhanced cybersecurity.
The $280 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development has a final term of 25 years with a grace period of five years.
Kerala has been making sustained health gains for over two decades with improved mortality rates in newborns (3.4 per 1,000 live births), infants (4.4 per 1,000 live births), under-five mortality rates (5.2 per 1,000 live births) and maternal mortality (19 per 100,000 live births). This is due to its high literacy rate, public health awareness and decentralized governance, a press note said.
An increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (hypertension, diabetes, cancer) and a rapidly aging population (with the elderly accounting for more than 20 percent of the total population) have put pressure on the healthcare system.
The program aims to treat and support more than 90 percent of patients registered for hypertension and diabetes in the state through individual electronic tracking mechanisms. It will also establish a home care model for bedbound, homebound and frail elderly, to provide comprehensive healthcare services.
“Good health empowers people, creates jobs and drives economic growth. Strong, resilient health systems also help economies prevent and better respond to health emergencies and pandemics,” said Paul Procee, World Bank Acting Country Director for India.
“In Kerala, women have one of the highest levels of education in the country and with optimal health they can contribute more to the state’s economic growth. The program will deliver a 40 percent increase in the number of patients whose hypertension is controlled and a 60 percent increase in cervical and breast cancer screening for women to accelerate efforts to end preventable deaths.”
The program will collaborate with local government bodies such as gram panchayats and municipal corporations, adopt standard protocols and procedures for antibiotic use and tackle outbreaks of zoonotic diseases by expediting reliable laboratory information to patients. Primary healthcare facilities in Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kasaragod, Palakkad and Alappuzha will also adopt climate-driven solutions to improve energy efficiency and manage extreme heat and flooding.
“Kerala has adopted a single healthcare approach and lessons learned from the ongoing support from the World Bank have been leveraged to establish a healthy community surveillance system,” said Deepika Chaudhery and Hikuepi Katjiuongua, the program’s task team leaders. This program will ensure that older people have broader access to healthcare through innovative initiatives. It will also support a multi-level trauma and emergency care system to ensure that 8.5 million people receive timely and quality services.”
Published on October 24, 2025
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