The World Bank - why it matters for global health

The world bank was set up in 1944. In the aftermath of the second world war, the institution was there to give loans to countries rebuilding after the conflict. Their first loan went to France - but with stipulations about repayment that set a tone for future funds. A new series, authored by Devi Sridhar, and her team from the University of Edinburgh, and published on bmj.com, looks at where the World Bank has come. The series is , and the articles will cover; Why the World Bank matters to global health The World Bank’s turn to Universal health coverage How the Bank’s trust funds are being used to fund specific projects - and why it’s hard to know what those are The Global Financing Facility - grants and loans supplied together, and finally, creating a market out of pandemic risk In this first interview, Devi Sridhar, professor of global health at the University of Edinburgh explains why the bank matters for global health. Read the full analysis: http://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3339