This Sector Strategy paper presents the World Bank's strategy in the health, nutrition, and population (HNP) area. The objectives of this paper are to: (a) review major trends in the HNP sector, key development changes, and the emerging consensus on reform strategies; (b) assess past and current Bank involvement in the HNP sector in low- and middle-income countries; and (c) define a clear strategy to guide the Bank's future work in the HNP sector. In developing the Bank's strategy for the HNP sector, the following principles have been influential: a focus on the human dimension of development; responsiveness to clients, especially the poor; sound technical analysis and attention to outcomes; recognition of the political dimensions of reforms; respect for diversity in values and social choices; and the need for local ownership and partnerships. The Bank's objectives in the HNP sector are to: (a) improve the health, nutrition, and population outcomes of the poor; (b) enhance the performance of health care systems; and (c) secure sustainable health care financing.

The main objective of the health, nutrition, and population (HNP) strategy is to improve the Bank's effectiveness in HNP in the East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) region. To this end, the challenge is the shape the strategic direction of Bank-supported operations and while taking into account lessons learned from previous Bank experience in the region. The strategy identifies three key priority choices for the region: 1) Improving the health, nutrition, and population outcomes of the poor; 2) enhancing the performance of health care systems; and 3) securing sustainable health care financing. The strategy development process will be ongoing and dynamic, building on best practices and experiences in the region and internationally. This paper is a first step toward that objective. The next steps would involve consultation with other partners in the region and internal assessment of the implications of the strategy for the Bank's work in HNP in the EAP.