(Ecofin Agency) - Côte d'Ivoire will benefit from $300 million granted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to develop its healthcare sector. The deal was inked last July 16.

The funds will be disbursed under the IFC's Africa Medical Equipment Facility (AMEF). They will be used to support the development of private players in the Ivorian medical sector, in particular by financing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the field.

For the Ivorian government, the clearly stated objective is to make the country a true medical hub in West Africa, by relying on the private sector. "Our goal is to foster the rapid growth of the private sector. This means supporting social project holders so that they can develop more rapidly. We want to make Côte d'Ivoire a destination for hospital tourism and a medical hub," said Ivorian Prime Minister Patrick Achi (pictured).

Under this plan, Ivorian private companies that operate in the healthcare sector will obtain equipment from the American company General Electric and the Dutch company Philips. The objective is to enable clinics to obtain their equipment at low cost with easier access to spare parts.

In 2019, the authorities announced that they wanted to mobilize CFA1,658 billion ($2.9 billion) for investments in the health sector over the period 2020-2024. The program targets seven pillars including community health, quality of primary health care, human resources, health information systems, supply chain, private sector integration, and key health financing reforms.

Moutiou Adjibi Nourou