NEW DELHI, June 27 (Xinhua) -- India has signed a loan agreement worth 328 million U.S. dollars with the World Bank (WB) for further improving health services in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, an official statement said Thursday.

"Andhra Pradesh has over the years demonstrated a strong commitment to improving health outcomes. In 2017-18, it allocated five percent of its total public expenditure towards health and has initiated significant steps towards strengthening its public health system," said the statement.

The World Bank loan will support the state government as it makes efforts to bring better health care to all its citizens, especially pregnant women and those at risk of non-communicable diseases, like hypertension, diabetes and cervical cancer.

Speaking on the occasion, Additional Secretary at the Department of Economic Affairs (Ministry of Finance) Sameer Kumar Khare said that the government of India's commitment to improving the country's health outcomes were fully mirrored in the state.