The past century has been marked by rapid advances in human welfare. People in most parts of the world are healthier and are living longer. While this trend is likely to continue, hopes are fading in some regions where progress slowed or stopped in the1990s, primarily as a result of the AIDS...

This paper describes how economic behavior in the market for health care in the United States is influenced by a range of impediments to the functioning of the price mechanism which impart an upward bias to health care costs and imply efficiency losses. The paper also considers how to reform the...

This Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for the Kingdom of Lesotho presents a determined plan in pursuance of high and sustainable equity-based economic growth. It contains medium-term objectives and strategies to address the major challenges facing the country. These challenges include employment...

The Union of the Comoros’s Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRGS) paper reports that the government’s macroeconomic objectives under the PRGS framework entail preserving major economic equilibria. To increase control over government spending, the government intends to reduce the...

The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) prepared by the Burkinabè government forms the principal benchmark for all development actors, and reaffirms the urgency of attacking poverty from a structural perspective. It is the primary tool for coordination of all interventions and of public aid...

This strategic paper discusses Ethiopia’s growth and transformation plan (GTP) for the periods 2010/2011 and 2014/2015. The Ethiopian government’s main development agenda has been poverty eradication. The government has designed, and is implementing, strategies, policies, and plans...

Tanzania's Second National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP II) is a continuation of government and national commitments to accelerate economic growth and fight poverty. Though MKUKUTA I (NSGRP I) yielded demonstrable positive results, it failed to meet some targets. MKUKUTA...

This paper discusses implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) in Liberia. Liberia’s PRS articulates the government’s overall vision and major strategies for moving toward rapid, inclusive, and sustainable growth and development during the period 2008–11. This...

The economic performance has been positive as tight macroeconomic policies prevailed, helped by a remarkable revenue mobilization effort. None of the key indicator targets were met. Fiscal performance improved, but there was an increase in the overall fiscal deficit. Monetary policy was also...