The government of Ethiopia and the World Bank Thursday signed two grant agreements amounting to a total of $745 million.Finance Minister Ahmed Shide and World Bank’s country director Ousmane Dione signed the two financial agreements following the approval of the grants by the World Bank’s directors in mid-December.

Of the total, the $445 million grant will finance the implementation of a program to strengthen Primary Health Care Services in Ethiopia. 

The program aims to improve access to and equitable provision of high-quality primary health care services and to further strengthen the country’s health system.

More than 22 million women and children, including those in conflict-affected areas are expected to benefit from the program.

“It will also restore facilities that were damaged by conflict, enabling millions of Ethiopians to get access once again to the services they direly need,” Ousmane said when the bank approved the fund last month.

The second $300 million Grant will also finance another nationwide program named Flood Management Project (FMP).

The project also is expected to enhance Ethiopia’s institutional capacity for disaster and flood risk management in selected river basins, according to the finance ministry. 

Nearly 34 million people living in poor communities in the priority basins of Awash, Omo, and Rift Valley Lakes basins are expected to benefit from the project.