Each day, more than 41,000 girls worldwide are married while still children, often before they may be physically and emotionally ready to become wives and mothers.
... See More + Child marriage, defined as marriage or a union taking place before the age of 18, endangers the life trajectories of these girls in numerous ways. Child brides are at greater risk of experiencing a range of poor health outcomes, having children at younger ages, having more children over their lifetime, dropping out of school, earning less over their lifetimes and living in poverty than their peers who marry at later ages. Child brides may also be more likely to experience intimate partner violence, have restricted physical mobility, and limited decisionmaking ability. Most fundamentally, these girls may be disempowered in ways that deprive them of their basic rights to health, education, equality, non-discrimination, and to live free from violence and exploitation, which continue to affect them into adulthood. These dynamics affect not only the girls themselves, but their children, households, communities and societies, limiting their ability to reach their full social and economic potential.
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This Country Partnership Framework (CPF) sets out the World Bank Group’s (WBG) strategy in Madagascar for the period of FY17‐FY21. As the country has emerged from a political crisis, the CPF supports the Government’s goal of generating a higher, inclusive and sustainable growth path to reduce poverty, as presented in its 2015‐2019 National Development Plan (NDP).
... See More + The expanded resources and the larger range of instruments available under IDA18 enable the WBG to support the Government in putting the country on a higher development trajectory, by investing at scale in a few areas that could unlock Madagascar’s development. Success in achieving ambitious goals, such as doubling the rate of electricity access, will hinge on the authorities’ ability to sustain reforms while addressing some of the causes of the country’s cyclical instability. The program proposed under this CPF seeks to increase the resilience of the most vulnerable people and to promote inclusive growth, while strengthening national and local institutions so as to reduce fragility. Risks to achieving those objectives continue to be substantial and will require the WBG to adopt a flexible approach. First, the nascent rebound in economic growth has not yet been felt by a large majority of the population. The depth of poverty is also such that extreme climate events could quickly reverse the small gains achieved since 2014 and fuel social tensions. Second, presidential elections are expected to take place in late 2018. They could generate a slowdown in the adoption of reforms and lead to a rise in political tensions. Recent crises have occurred around elections and thus the possibility of another crisis cannot be excluded. Finally, it remains to be seen if the Government will be able to address the roots of the country’s fragility and change the bargain between the elites and the rest of the population, including by creating a more level playing field for the private sector. These risks will require the WBG to monitor closely the country context and be ready to adapt its approach throughout the CPF period.
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Country Assistance Strategy Document 114744 MAY 30, 2017
The five countries covered in this report share a number of characteristics and are facing similar challenges that justify their being monitored jointly.
... See More + First, they face critical demographic issues that require immediate action to enable them to experience a population dividend rather than a population burden that might foreshadow interminable political and social conflicts in the future. Second, with the exception of Guinea, these are landlocked, low-income Sahelian economies, heavily reliant on the agricultural sector, their main source of revenue and means of subsistence, with a significant livestock sub-sector based in part on traditional pastoral nomadism. Third, they are economically non-diversified. These five countries rely on natural resources exploitation industries-gold for Mali, uranium and oil for Niger, bauxite for Guinea, diamonds for the Central African Republic, and oil for Chad-that account for a rural portion of their output, export income, and public revenue. This dependence on the primary sector makes these economies highly vulnerable to climate-related shocks and to volatility in the price of raw materials. Fourth, each one is struggling to overcome a legacy of political instability and violence, exacerbated by fragile sociopolitical conditions and the severity of regional currency tied to the euro and exerts considerable influence on the macroeconomic policies of its Member States.
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The objective of the Second Phase of the Rural Access and Mobility Project for Nigeria is to improve transport conditions and bring sustained access to the rural population, through rehabilitating and maintaining key rural transport infrastructure in selected Nigerian states.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: control poaching activities and regulate movement of labor force and their dependents into the forest area; district forest office and its subsidiary body should be involved in monitoring the activities of the construction workers and officials to minimize wildlife harassing, trapping and poaching; possibly construction period should be during August to December when soil moisture content is most; consider construction of road at 50 m from settlement; develop and implement a sound traffic management plan; liaise with project communities on alternative roads and timing of possible closures and detours; and outlet of these structures will be carrying the concentrated run off flow of the respective catchment, which will be quite high during rainy season, which in turn will require proper planning of drainage systems.
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The ability to prove one's identity is a cornerstone of participation in modern life, yet over 1.5 billion people lack proof of legal identity.
... See More + As a first step in assisting its client countries to close this identity gap, the World Bank Group's ID4D initiative conducts Identity Management Systems Analyses (IMSAs) to evaluate countries' identity ecosystems and facilitate collaboration with governments for future work. To date, analyses have been conducted in 17 African countries, including Botswana, Chad, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Guinea, Lenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zambia.
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Some 1.5 billion people in the developing world lack proof of legal identity. Living without proof of legal identity is a serious obstacle to social, economic, and political inclusion.
... See More + It also makes it difficult for an individual to open a bank account, vote, obtain formal employment, access education or healthcare, receive a social transfer, buy a SIM card, or seek legal redress. Furthermore, a person without identification may be unable to exercise the full range of human rights set out in international laws and conventions. Weak civil identification systems also represent challenges for countries such as governance planning, service delivery, public sector administration, collecting taxes, border control and emergency response. As public and private service providers increasingly transition into the digital realm, the ability for individuals to prove who they are will be essential for accessing benefits and services via digital platforms. This move toward digital platforms can increase efficiency of service delivery, create significant savings for citizens, governments, and businesses by reducing transaction costs, as well as drive innovation. This can generate many benefits, but can also exacerbate the risk of isolation for poorly-connected populations including rural and remote communities, the forcibly displaced, stateless persons and other marginalized groups. Leveling the playing field requires a coordinated, sustained effort by countries as well as stakeholders involved in the provision and use of identification systems. A shared vision through this set of common Principles can contribute to robust and universal identification systems that in turn promote social and economic inclusion and sustainable development outcomes.
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The development objective of the Uttarakhand Health Systems Development Project for India s to improve access to quality health services, particularly in the hilly districts of the state, and to expand health financial risk protection for the residents of Uttarakhand.
... See More + The project will have two components. The first component, Innovations in engaging the private sector will finance engagement with the private sector in the delivery of health care services, as well as in health care financing. This component will expand access to services by creating integrated, technology-enabled health system architecture with enhanced focus and availability of primary care, emergency care, and necessary referral services. It will also expand financial protection by defining a benefit package of primary care services for child and adolescent care and for the management of National Competitive Bidding (NCDs). The first component includes two subcomponents. (i) innovations in integrated delivery of healthcare services (primary, referral,and emergency care); (ii) innovations in healthcare financing;The second component, Stewardship and System Improvement will strengthen the Government’s capacity to engage effectively with the private sector, and therefore, enable the Government to provide effective stewardship to improve the quality of services in the entire health system, particularly in its capacity to effectively pursue the innovations being planned under this project. The component will focus on strengthening the institutional structures for stewardship and service delivery and augmenting the state’s human resource capacity, so that the necessary skillsets required for effective implementation of the project and the state’s health programs are available. The strengthened capacity will serve beyond the activities of this project, as it will contribute to the Government’s stewardship role for the health system as a whole. This component will finance research and evidence generation, use of evidence for strategic planning, and improved information systems for data generation and management, including timely feedback to providers.
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The development objective of Emergency Operation for Development Project (EODP) for Iraq is to support the country in the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and the restoration of public services delivery in Targeted Municipal Areas.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts include : i) emissions of the construction equipment and trucks used to transport construction materials; ii) noise emissions from the equipment engines used during the construction activities; iii) improper disposal of any liquid or solid wastes into the river may pollute its waters or block the water flow; iv) soil erosion could be caused by the removal of vegetation and large scale excavation activities for the construction; v) temporary storage on the site area; and management and disposal of wastes; vi) except for agricultural crops, fruit trees and farmland animals, there is no observed wild life or significant naturally grown plants or flora species due to the human activities and presence in the area; vii) disturbance and inconvenience to the local population may result due to the route diversion; viii) risks posed to human health by accidentsresulting from the use of heavy construction equipment. ix) socially harmful consequences of bridge operation are not anticipated. Some of the mitigation measures include : i) machines and equipment are periodically checked and maintained to ensure their good working condition; ii) equipment must be kept in good working order and where appropriate fitted with silencers which are kept in good working order; iii) wastewater from the worker rest areas or construction offices should be contained in solid bottom containers and should be removed regularly from site by means of authorized contractors. the wastewater should be disposed in wastewater treatment plants as determined by the municipality; iv) to prevent soil contamination by oil/grease spills, leakages or releases, all manipulations of oil derivatives in the process of construction and provision of the fuel to the machines should be performed with maximum care; v) minimize waste generation on site; vi)Provide information, through appropriate signage, to the bridge users to use the alternative route and upgrade the alternative route to be able to receive the additional number of vehicles. vii) qualified personnel must be employed for the construction equipment, and personnel must be trained for health and safety issues;
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Afghans have been enduring the adverse consequences of forced displacement for decades, way before the current “refugee crisis” gained the international spotlight with the surge of asylum seekers trying to escape conflict in Syria.
... See More + Afghanistan is not only the country with the largest number of refugees in protracted exile, but it is also facing a sharp increase in displacement trends due to the escalation of internal conflict. Despite the continuous deterioration of the security situation within Afghanistan, a shrinking asylum space within the international community and changes in the geopolitical equilibrium at the regional level have recently spurred the return (mostly involuntary) of thousands of refugees and asylum from Pakistan and, in lower numbers, from Iran and Europe. The need for managing and protecting displaced populations is taking place in a country lacking a system of safety nets and suffering from a severe economic crisis that has pushed at least 1.3 million additional Afghans into poverty, and triggered a three-fold increase in unemployment between 2012 and 2014. Can Afghanistan manage the ongoing displacement challenge? Can the country absorb and successfully reintegrate displaced populations under the current security and economic circumstances? What priorities should the government and the international community address?
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Health services (HS) are crucial for development. HS include all services dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of disease, or the promotion, maintenance and restoration of health.
... See More + They include personal and non-personal health services. Ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity sustainably require, among others, access to social services, including HS. The World Bank Group (WBG) works with the public and private sectors, and development partners to improve HS in client countries through finance, knowledge and convening services. The purpose of this evaluation is to collect evidence, develop lessons, and propose recommendations that could enhance WBG support to client countries as they move toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The global coalition for UHC urges government and development partners to accelerate progresses toward the goal that all people receive the quality HS they need, without suffering financial hardship. UHC is one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all (SDG3). Access to HS is closely linked to the Millennium Development Goals and SDG targets of reducing preventable maternal and child mortality; reducing stunting and improving nutrition for infants and children; strengthening health systems; and preventing and treating communicable (e.g. AIDS, Tuberculosis, malaria) and non-communicable diseases. To ensure that the evaluation has a manageable scope, the analysis will focus on those activities that support directly the provision and the demand for HS. Therefore, WBG support that affects HS indirectly (e.g. through improved income, education or the environment) will not be part of this evaluation. The evaluation will cover both learning and accountability aspects of WBG support.
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Ratings for the Wetlands Conservation Project for Sierra Leone were as follows: outcomes were satisfactory, the risk to development outcome was low, the Bank performance was satisfactory, and the Borrower performance was also satisfactory.
... See More + Some lessons learned included: the project played a vital role in solving the conflict of cattle grazing within the Mamunta-Mayosso site. There was a situation that two out of the ten Town Chiefs at MMWS allowed Fula cattle ranchers to settle illegally and graze their livestock in communal lands including the Sanctuary in exchange of ‘gifts’ such as livestock, while the majority of village residents surrounding the Sanctuary condemned these bi-lateral agreements (for the damages caused). Therefore surrounding village farming populations were calling on third parties, such as the GoSL and NPAA and Paramount chiefs to play an active mitigation role to reach consensus and conservation targets. It seems feasible to attract private sector resources, for example in the area of ecotourism as well as for processing and marketing of high value agricultural crops as long as the market alternatives are available. For example, intercropped cashew plantations, honey production combined with appropriate processing and marketing, or pineapple production with secured market outlet could increase smallholders’ income and reduce pressure on natural resources in the PAs. Furthermore, particularly in the case of Sierra Leone River Estuary, operating mining companies might be interested to reach agreements that could include financial support for conservation site management as part of the companies’ responsibility to mitigate and compensate for environmental damages caused (offsetting).
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Implementation Completion and Results Report ICR3927 SEP 27, 2016
The demographic transition in the Sahel region has been slower than that in the rest of the world. Although child mortality rates have declined in recent decades, they are still higher in West Africa than in other regions.
... See More + Furthermore, the fertility decline has progressed very slowly, with some countries seeing stalls and others even an increase in birth rates. The speed with which this transition takes place has a critical impact on a population’s age structure and future potential for economic productivity. The current rates of change in the Sahelian sub region will make it unlikely that countries will achieve an age structure that will create a youth bulge of a healthy, well-nourished, and educated cohort ready to enter a modern labor market to capture a sizable demographic dividend. Once missed, this opportunity for a demographic dividend will not return. This analysis uses quantitative data triangulated with the qualitative findings and policy analyses to identify the triggers necessary to accelerate the demographic dividend in this sub region.
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Early Childhood Development (ECD) is a holistic concept that refers to the physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, and linguistic development of young children until the time they transition to primary school.
... See More + This policy brief highlights that developmental gaps in the early years of a child’s life do not narrow by themselves over time, are likely to be particularly severe for children born to teenage mothers, and lead to costly consequences for individuals, families, and societies. In turn, this policy brief also documents that strong evidence exist on the significant benefits that quality ECD interventions yield in both the short and longer terms. Different types of ECD interventions are most relevant and are complementary at different times of a child’s development. For example, interventions to promote infant and child health and to reduce malnutrition are most effective in the 1,000-day window from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday, and programs that enhance both early stimulation and nutrition are more likely to generate long-lasting impacts than nutrition alone. Strong evidence also exists on the positive impacts of high quality center-based programs for young children (i.e. daycares and preschools), including in low and middle-income countries, and these types of programs can also generate positive impacts for other family members, including caregivers and siblings. Finally, providing cash transfers to families can be an effective way to enhance the ECD outcomes of the poorest children, especially when combined with specific health, nutrition, and early stimulation interventions. In sum, this policy brief provides an overview of why early childhood is a critical period of human development and of the several types of ECD interventions that have been proven effective to improve children’s development and life-long prospects.
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Uruguay’s development progress in recent decades includes falling mortality and fertility which is changing the age structure of the population.
... See More + This aging of the population will continue in coming years and motivates the reflections in this book. These demographic trends are good news: falling fertility reflects Uruguayans’ ability to control the size of their families, and its aging is a potent indicator of development. However, the author cannot ignore that a change of such magnitude poses significant challenges along various dimensions: on the long-term horizon through 2100, the economically active population will fall, with diverse impacts on the labor market and public accounts. This book explores the potential effects of the demographic change on social protection, the demand for health care and education services, the functioning of the labor market, and the macroeconomic environment. It considers the institutional changes and rules needed to respond to this new reality. In the rest of the book, chapter two describes Uruguay’s long-term demographic context, showing the historical trends and projections of its evolution. Chapter three details estimates of the National Transfer Accounts and their application to the Uruguayan case to estimate consumption profiles, labor income, and public transfers by age. Additionally, it presents the simple projections for social sector expenditure, assuming just the effects of demographic changes. Chapters four, five, and six describe the recent evolution of social policies in Uruguay related to the social protection, health care, and education systems, respectively. These chapters discuss the probable implications of current policies in a context of demographic transition, proposing alternative scenarios that would allow for the mitigation of the adverse effects and the exploitation of the opportunities offered by the demographic transition. Chapter seven analyzes labor market prospects amid population aging, emphasizing two key variables: the participation rate and labor productivity. Chapter eight briefly describes key indicators of the Uruguayan demographic transition in an international context. Chapter nine analyzes the potential macroeconomic implications. And chapter ten briefly discusses the sources of economic growth in the context of aging.
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Central America is undergoing an important transition, with urban populations increasingat accelerated speeds, bringing pressing challenges as well as opportunities to boost sustained,inclusive and resilient growth.
... See More + Today, 59 percent of Central America's population lives in urban areas, but it is expected that within the next generation 7 out of 10 people will live in cities, equivalent to adding 700,000 new urban residents every year. At current rates of urbanization, the region’s urban population will double in size by 2050, welcoming over 25 million new urban dwellers, calling for better infrastructure, higher coverage and quality of urban services and greater employment opportunities. As larger numbers of people concentrate in urban areas, Central American governments at the national and local levels face both opportunities and challenges to ensure the prosperity of their country's present and future generations.
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Working Paper 106268 JUN 01, 2016
Maria,Augustin; Acero Vergel,Jose Luis; Garcia Lozano,Marisa; Aguilera De Llano,Ana IsabelDisclosed
Faced with a large and increasing obesity epidemic, the Mexican Government in the last years has increased efforts to prevent and control it. In October 2013, Mexico’s Congress passed legislation imposing taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and calorie-dense foods of low nutritional value.
... See More + These taxes were part of a comprehensive strategy to prevent and control obesity, overweight and diabetes. In addition to fiscal policy and regulation, this strategy included other health promotion and prevention interventions as well as measures to ensure better access to effective health care services. The decision to implement this fiscal policy was the result of a long advocacy process in which different actors participated, including civil society organizations and government agencies, which provided needed evidence on the status of the epidemic and options to fight against it. The taxes were designed to avoid, as much as possible, the substitution of consumption of the taxed goods for other unhealthy foods and beverages not subject to taxation. These taxes have been successful in increasing both the fiscal revenues and the price of the products taxed. There is also evidence that they have reduced consumption, particularly of SSBs. The taxes seem to have the highest impact among people in the poorest quintiles of the income distribution, who had experienced the highest increase in consumption of the goods under taxation in the last years. A debate remains on the actual impact of the taxes, particularly on health outcomes. Thus it is important to continue monitoring the impact of the taxes through the development of price and volume indicators, based on publicly available data, as well as health outcome indicators.
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The IDA Results Measurement System (RMS) is a framework with quantitative indicators to monitor and aggregate the results of development activities in countries supported by IDA funds.
... See More + Currently consisting of 85 indicators, the IDA RMS provides a snapshot of country-level development outcomes, development results directly supported by IDA, and the operational and organizational effectiveness of IDA. Recent developments point to a need to revise the content and structure of the IDA RMS. The IDA18 Replenishment provides an opportune moment to align the IDA RMS with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to streamline and clarify the RMS indicators, and to further harmonize the RMS with the World Bank’s Corporate Scorecard (CSC). This document describes the proposed changes to the IDA RMS. Part two outlines the key considerations and guiding principles for the IDA18 RMS that were shared with IDA Deputies during the first IDA18 Replenishment Meeting. Part three highlights support to data collection and statistical capacity building for IDA countries, particularly the effort to enhance data coordination across the WBG to support the IDA18 Special Themes. Part four describes the specific changes proposed to the indicators in each of the tiers for the IDA18 RMS. Annex one summarizes the implementation status of the IDA17 policy commitments, and annex two lists the indicators proposed for the IDA18 RMS.
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