WORLD BANK
The World Bank began operations on June 25, 1946. Although it was established to finance European reconstruction after World War II, the bank today is a considerable force in the health, nutrition, and population (HNP) sector in developing countries. It has evolved from having virtually no presence in global health to being the world’s largest multilateral financial contributor to health related projects. The World Bank has come to recognize the role of health in development, and has been emphasizing health system strengthening and financing, technical and policy advising. Its significant resources have allowed it to displace the WHO as the main multilateral agenda-setter in health since the 1990s, especially in resource-constrained countries. Yet the displacement is incomplete: the World Bank has been called upon to support WHO functions, offer effective leadership, and to collaborate with WHO in mitigating freer trade’s negative health effects. The World Bank’s evolution has been slow and steady, suggesting that health’s importance to development is a concept with long lasting implications.
