The COVID-19 crisis brought home the high costs of pandemics, triggering a historic setback in the fight against poverty. It also reinforced the interconnections between people, planet and economy, calling attention to the zoonotic nature of pathogens spilling over from animals to people. To...

Health security has gained importance in the face of COVID-19. It has demanded a relook at the country's preparedness and response capacities and the need for sustainable financing for health security. Addressing these issues has become more imperative when comprehended in the context of...

As we move into an increasingly digital world, governments across the globe are leveraging new technologies to deliver services better, faster, and more transparently. Globally, over a quarter of adults are receiving payments from the government whether through public sector wages, pensions,...

The economies of the Western Balkans continue to face a turbulent external environment, placing households, firms, and governments under acute stress. Just as the post-COVID recovery of 2021 began to fade and the region returned to a normalized rate of economic growth, the Western Balkan region...

This report applies the framework to diagnose the opportunities and constraints faced by the rural economy and households and to assess policy options to address these constraints. The approach builds on four steps. The first step consists in examining the socio-demographic profile and living...

This policy paper explores airline restructuring and regulatory reform challenges and opportunities in the Southern African region with particular focus on Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the air transport sector in the region faced...

The World Bank Group's Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs) are new core diagnostic reports that integrate climate change and development considerations. They will help countries prioritize the most impactful actions that can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and boost adaptation,...

This study is the result of the World Bank research to support Ukraine's on-going health reform policy debate. It was produced by a team of experts led by Paolo Belli, World Bank Lead Economist and Sector Leader for Human Development. Key authors: Paolo Belli; Yuriy Dzhygyr; Kateryna Maynzyuk....

As economies and societies become increasingly digital, governments around the World are prioritizing the use of digital technologies and data to increase the participation and engagement of civil society in public matters. At the same time, citizen's rising expectations and demands require...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microbes, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, evolve in ways that reduce medicine's ability to fight them. AMR has made many infections, particularly bacterial infections, increasingly difficult or even impossible to treat. Without effective...