Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) hamper the development of human capital for current and future generations. NCDs are chronic conditions that are often untreatable and require close monitoring to control the progression of the disease. They account for 70 percent of all deaths worldwide and...

The arrival of a new government provides an opportunity to reinvigorate the reform agenda to deliver inclusive growth for the Somali people. Since the establishment of the Provisional Constitution in 2012, Somalia has made commendable progress on many fronts. Macroeconomic stability has been...

This policy note has been produced under the competition reform assessment ASA with the objective of identifying key constraints to competition in Armenia and providing recommendations on a set of actionable reforms that could help foster market contestability and competition in key sectors and...

Ecuador faces the challenge of consolidating the social gains achieved during the last decade while addressing the excesses committed the commodity boom period, when the state was the main drive of economic growth and the private sector remained subdue. This policy note diagnoses the nature of...

As a small transition economy, Albania has achieved significant progress, and the average year-to-year growth rate of trade from 2000 to 2017 has outperformed the world average reaching almost eleven percent. Yet, Albanian exports are very concentrated in terms of market destinations and product...

The travel and tourism industry was one of the first sectors to be affected by COVID-19. Since March, the entire value chain that defines the industry - spanning airlines, bus and train companies, cruise lines, hotels, restaurants, attractions, travel agencies, tour operators,online travel...

Worldwide, approximately 781 million adults are unable to read or write in any language. While adult literacy rates have increased significantly over the past several decades, recent progress largely reflects a more-educated younger generation replacing a less-education older generation. The...

To respond to climate change effectively, human capital needs to be at the heart of policy responses. This policy note demonstrates the impacts of climate change across the lifecycle and provides a framework of policy and program interventions to protect, build, and use human capital to minimize...

Limited competition hinders the optimal use of telecommunication services in the Dominican Republic, which lags peer countries in mobile subscriptions and internet penetration. Despite recent reforms designed to enhance competition, the telecommunications sector remains dominated by a small...

The aim of this note is twofold: (1) summarize emerging challenges and opportunities for the water sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries; and (2) suggest ways to respond to these challenges where the World Bank's Water Global Practice can provide support. Following a description...