IsDB chief says infrastructure projects change millions of lives

Road, metro and healthcare projects are changing the lives of millions of people, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group President Muhammad Al Jasser said.

Report informs that he made the remarks during the 51st Annual Meeting of the IsDB Group in Baku.

"There are real examples. For instance, in The Gambia, we financed the construction of a road connecting two cities. Previously, travel between them by car took 12 hours, but now the same distance can be covered in four hours. This has significantly accelerated the movement of goods, services and people," he said.

Al Jasser noted that integration is not only about integration between countries.

"Sometimes, strengthening integration between regions within the same country has an even greater impact. There are regions that produce a large amount of agricultural products, but because access to markets is limited, the products spoil. Other regions, meanwhile, face food shortages. That is why integration is one of the main areas of our work, and this approach can be seen in most of the projects we implement," he said.

Al Jasser also said that Dakar, the capital of Senegal, had faced serious problems related to urban transport and mobility.

"We supported the financing of the metro project. In its first year of operation, the metro served more than 100 million passengers and operated at full capacity. For this reason, we are already working on financing its expansion. Improving people's mobility affects economic development. Such projects are among the key tools that accelerate development," he said.

According to him, in some countries, the construction of just one hospital in densely populated areas has led to a significant increase in life expectancy.

"We have implemented many projects in this area," he added.

Al Jasser said preventable blindness is also a serious problem in some parts of Africa.

"We carry out charitable projects in this area. Ophthalmologists from member countries voluntarily devote their time to travel to these regions, perform cataract surgeries and help people return to normal, productive lives," he said.

The IsDB Group president said there are many initiatives that the group has already implemented and can carry out in the future.

"All of this serves stronger integration, greater prosperity and faster development. Ultimately, people need to look to the future with hope. Restoring hope is an important element of economic development. If people lose confidence in the future, the impact of other measures will also be limited," he added.