Increasing life expectancy in South Asia is resulting in a demographic transition that can, under the right circumstances, yield dividends through more favorable dependency ratios for a time. With agi
This report explores the emerging epidemics of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) in low and middle income countries (LMIC). A case study approach is used to explore these epidemics in detail
This study reviews trends in aid provided to the health sector in Somalia over 2000–2009. It is a testimony to the commitment of donors and implementers who have relentlessly tried to improve the dire
In the first section of this book, four chapters explore how evaluation can influence and interact with the change process in policy and institutional development. Wijayatilake recalls a convincing an
The global financial crisis triggered a broad reassessment of economic integration policies in developed and developing countries worldwide. The crisis-induced collapse in trade was the sharpest ever
In Indonesia, the past two decades have been a time of great progress but also massive transformations and abrupt setbacks. In this context, this book reviews the main characteristics of - and trends
The global financial crisis that began in late 2008 has set back ambitious infrastructure development plans among many countries in Europe and Central Asia (ECA). Many such plans relied on Public-Priv
This book is about the threats to education quality in the developing world that cannot be explained by lack of resources. It reviews the observed phenomenon of service delivery failures in public ed
With more than 1.5 billion people living in countries affected by conflict, the World Development Report 2011 (WDR) looks into the changing nature of violence in the 21st century. Interstate and civil
With more than 1.5 billion people living in countries affected by conflict, the World Development Report 2011 (WDR) looks into the changing nature of violence in the 21st century. Interstate and civil
Remittances sent by African migrants have become an important source of external finance for countries in the Sub-Saharan African region. In many African countries, these flows are larger than foreign
Impressive gains have been made in expanding access to higher education in East Asia over the past few decades, and the significance of higher education is expected to increase as developing economies
“Accountability” has become a buzzword in international development. Development actors appear to delight in announcing their intention to “promote accountability”—but it is often unclear what account
'Public-Private Partnerships for Urban Water Utilities: A Review of Experiences in Developing Countries' analyzes the market growth of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the developing world sinc
Future growth in the countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA) will increasingly depend on innovation. And innovation requires skills. This makes it important, as countries plan for recovery,
This volume uses recent research from the World Bank to document and analyze the bidirectional relationship between poverty and migration in developing countries. The case studies chapters compiled in
The Korea-World Bank High Level Conference on Post-Crisis Growth and Development, held in June 2010, in Busan, Republic of Korea, successfully brought key development issues to the forefront, laid the
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been a remarkable success in Africa. In just 10 years—dating from the end of the 1990s—mobile network coverage rose from 16 percent to 90 percent
Geographical differences in living standards are a pressing concern for policy makers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Production is most efficient when concentrated in leading area
"This volume makes a convincing case that, in economic development as in other human pursuits, you get what you measure. It presents the first-ever direct estimates of changes in comprehensive nation
Urbanization and growing wealth in developing countries portend a large increase of demand for modern energy services in residential, commercial and public-service buildings in the coming decades. Pu
This handy pocket guide is a quick reference for users interested in the gender statistics. The book presents gender-disaggregated data for more than 200 countries in an easy country-by-country refere
Eighth in a series of annual reports comparing business regulations in 183 economies, Doing Business 2011 measures regulations affecting 10 areas of everyday business activity: starting a business, de
Public debate in Nigeria on the country's progress since its return to democracy in 1999 has been dominated by two seemingly opposite themes. The first theme is the strong growth performance of the n
Despite global progress in understanding the epidemiology of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), knowledge about the epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remains very limited and s
Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys (PETS) are a tried and tested methodology to identify delays in financial and in-kind transfers, leakages, and other inefficiencies in government programs. This gui
Although overall HIV prevalence in South Asia is low, the widespread stigma attached to HIV and AIDS impedes efforts to reach people most in need of prevention, care, and treatment services. To addre
Services negotiations are an integral element in designing and implementing programs to liberalize and deregulate trade unilaterally, bilaterally, and multilaterally in both developing and advanced e
Policy makers in many countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region have found it challenging to determine how to treat natural resource commodity production and how to manage the recurrent cyc
Dorte Verner and her team are once again ahead of the curve, bringing home the threat not just to our planet but our people in Reducing Poverty, Protecting Livelihoods, and Building Assets in a Chang
Women's earnings are a fraction of male's earnings in several African countries. It is tempting to conclude that this wage gap is a sign of discrimination against women in the labor market. Yet this
"Scaling Up Affordable Health Insurance: Staying the Course" is the fifth volume in a series of in-depth reviews on the role of health care financing in improving access for low-income populations to
This book fills a large gap in the literature on trade in services. It focuses on the dynamics of trade and investment liberalization in a sector of considerable technical and regulatory complexity—fi
This volume is the first of its kind to present a comprehensive assessment of the health sector in Afghanistan. Although health outcomes here are some of the worst in the world, the sector has made co
'The Education System in Malawi', an Education Country Status Report (CSR), is a detailed analysis of the current status of the education sector in Malawi, the results of which have been validated by
Drawing on the findings from responses to a survey conducted in 2008–09 from 114 central banks worldwide (of which 33 are in Africa), this paper aims to better understand how central banks and other n
Innovation in all its Forms, Particularly Technological Innovation, has Become a Crucial Driver of growth, enhancing competitiveness and increasing social well-being in all economies of the world. In
The World Bank's new Eco2 Cities Initiative is strongly grounded in the realities and challenges faced by cities in developing countries. Over the past 30 years, Curitiba's sustained experiences have
Utilizing standardized indicators from 2001 to 2008, 'Getting Finance in South Asia 2010' analyzes the financial performance and soundness of commercial banks in eight South Asian countries: Afghanist
The training and development of human capital in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will help countries in the region diversify their economies, carry out economic transformation, and support sustainable growt
