Ukraine received over $125 million under World Bank LEARN and THRIVE projects to support education and healthcare

More than USD 125 million in concessional financing has been transferred to the State Budget of Ukraine under World Bank projects aimed at supporting the education and healthcare sectors.

In particular, the Government of Ukraine received USD 105.7 million under the “Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need” (LEARN) project and USD 19.5 million under the “Transforming Healthcare through Reform and Investments in Efficiency” (THRIVE) project. The funds were credited to the general fund of the State Budget.

Also, Ukraine will be provided with a USD 31.1 million grant under the LEARN project. The relevant agreement was signed today between the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the World Bank. The funds will be allocated to the development of early childhood education, including in wartime conditions.

The financing mobilized under the LEARN project is the result of the Government of Ukraine’s implementation of measures to ensure safe in-person learning in schools and to advance the New Ukrainian School (NUS) reform. In particular:

• nearly 8,500 students and teachers gained access to shelters;
• more than 105,000 teachers completed training in line with NUS standards for Grade 8;
• 381,500 eighth-grade students were provided with new textbooks at no cost, aligned with the NUS curriculum.
• the formula for allocating the education subvention for 2026 was updated to increase the minimum required number of students per school by at least 30% compared to 2025.

The key objective of the project is to improve the education process under martial law by creating safe and comfortable conditions for students and teachers. The LEARN project has been implemented since 2024. Within its framework, the World Bank has signed agreements with Ukraine totaling about USD 451 million, of which more than USD 305 million has already been disbursed to the State Budget.

Under the THRIVE project, the State Budget received the next tranche of USD 19.5 million. The project aims to transform Ukraine’s healthcare system by improving the efficiency of financing and the quality of medical services. It focuses on strengthening the Medical Guarantees Program and the institutional capacity of the National Health Service of Ukraine, improving access to quality healthcare and reducing the financial burden on citizens.

The THRIVE project has been implemented in Ukraine since 2024. To date, the World Bank has provided Ukraine with approximately USD 320 million under the project, out of a total USD 454 million envisaged by the agreements.

Both projects are implemented using the Program-for-Results (PforR) financing instrument, which links disbursements to the achievement of predefined results and provides funding only upon meeting agreed performance indicators.

“World Bank support is critically important for advancing reforms in Ukraine’s education and healthcare systems amid the war. Since the launch of the projects in 2024, the Bank has already provided USD 625 million, helping improve service quality and strengthen the resilience of these key sectors,” said Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergii Marchenko.