Bangladesh's economy is growing at a healthy pace and macro conditions are strong. Progress in social outcomes in Bangladesh is inspiring other countries, but deep challenges persist as the pace of poverty reduction slows down. Bangladesh labor market is dominated by low-productivity and...

Nepal's recent transition to a federal state structure provides a historic juncture to realize the role that social protection can play in achieving the constitutional goals of equity, inclusion, and prosperity. The transition to a federal structure of governance and the promulgation of a new...

The Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) has an ambitious long-term vision for the nation and its people, operationalized through the national development plans. A rapid increase in public spending financed through borrowing, due to lack of a concomitant increase in public revenue, meant a...

The development of Brazil's modern social safety net is quite recent, and social assistance programs claim a relatively small share of resources of the broader social sector. A key feature of the Brazilian social protection system is the duality between formal sector workers, who gained social...

This report identifies critical opportunities and constraints faced by the Kiribati health system as it makes progress towards Universal Health Coverage. Protecting the achievements that have been made over recent years, while continuing to improve a broader range of health outcomes, requires...

This report identifies critical opportunities and constraints faced by the Vanuatu health system as it makes progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). Protecting the achievements that have been made over recent years, while continuing to improve a broader range of health outcomes,...

This Public Expenditure Review (PER) is the first for Namibia's health sector. Namibia is an upper-middle income country that has made major progress in improving the standard of living for its population and reducing poverty. Still, with one of the highest Gini coefficients in the world, the...

This Public Expenditure Review (PER) report provides an update on trends and patterns of health expenditures in the public sector. It assesses the availability of fiscal space, the role of user fees and pooled financing arrangements, and provides an overview of the fund flow and financial...

Panama has experienced impressive and significant economic growth, emerging as one of the better performers in Central America in recent years and one of the fastest growing economies worldwide. From 2003 to 2013, Panama has averaged an annual GDP growth rate of approximately 7 percent,...