Malaria is a treatable and preventable disease yet it remains a major challenge to achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa. It is not only a serious health problem, but an issue that cripples development. Every year, malaria infects more than 500 million people around the world and...

This work on a review of non-lending approaches, which for the purposes of this brief is defined broadly as activities that have a stated goal of improving individual, organizational and broader institutional capacities in a country, is spread widely throughout the Bank. It includes specific,...

Neglected Tropical Diseases are a group of 18 parasitic, viral and bacterial infections that are endemic to 47 countries in Africa. These diseases, negatively impact the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. The diseases can cause disabilities that may in turn have a detrimental impact on a...

Several developing countries face the challenge of attaining sufficient population level impact to meet health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This situation is partly attributable to constraints in their health systems, including: severe shortages in human resources for health;...

The debate on whether natural disasters cause significant macroeconomic impacts and indeed hinder development is ongoing. Most analyses along these lines have focused on impacts on gross domestic product. This paper looks beyond this standard national accounting aggregate, and examines whether...