The project will roll out a package of health services, introduce financial incentives to improve service delivery and upgrade health infrastructure and response systems for public health emergencies, the bank said.

Funds for the project will come from the International Development Association.

Tahseen Sayed, World Bank’s country director for the Caribbean, said the project was a move towards achieving universal health coverage.

“Investing in people through better access to quality health services is essential to enable the next generations reach their full social and economic potential,” she said.

The public health investment will ensure that at least 100,000 people on the island of 178,000 inhabitants are registered to the national health scheme by the end of the project, the bank said but did not give a specific timeframe. 

Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases have increased and remain the leading cause of death on the island, according to the bank.