The Philippines has made remarkable progress in the last decades in improving its health outcomes. However, performance is still poor compared regionally and with similar economies. This report was developed with the aim of informing health policy during the political transition from the...

The halal economy (HE) plays an important role in Malaysia's economic growth, contributing 7.5 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of 2020. Under the Twelfth Malaysia Plan, 2021-2025 (12MP), one of the key strategies to boost Malaysia's economic growth is enhancing the competitiveness...

Islamic trade finance (ITF) offers a meaningful opportunity for Malaysia. ITF can play a substantial role to support trade, foster growth, and accelerate post-pandemic recovery. In addition to its impact on the domestic economy, enhancing ITF can bring benefits to other Organization of Islamic...

This knowledge note is designed to support operational teams to design interventions to help address the challenges of female labor force participation in Bangladesh. The note presents a brief overview of the status and dynamics of female labor force participation in Bangladesh, along with a...

The rural economy in Bangladesh has been a powerful source of economic growth and has substantially reduced poverty, especially since 2000, but the remarkable transformation and unprecedented dynamism in rural Bangladesh are an underexplored, underappreciated, and largely untold story. The...

This summary report presents the findings of the Bangladesh WASH Poverty Diagnostic (BWPD) study led by the World Bank's Water and Poverty Global Practices. Though very few Bangladeshis now fetch water from rivers or defecate in fields, the vast majority still live in environments plagued by...

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Owing to its low-lying topography, dense river network, location, and climate, it is exposed to a range of water and climate-related hazards. Tropical cyclones are among the most severe of these hazards. A key focus for...

In order to address the large and growing non-communicable disease (NCD) burden, Bangladesh's public health system needs to change and innovate. It needs to transition from a system designed for infectious disease and mother and child health to an integrated care system with focus on primary...

This note is a preliminary estimate of the revenue foregone under customs duty because of the various exemptions provided on imports. The estimates are intended as an input into the policy process that seeks to balance revenue raising measures, trade and tariff policy, and competitiveness. The...

The postponement of 2012 VAT Law implementation means that the higher tax revenues expected from the measure will be delayed, and additional sources of revenue need to be considered. Model simulations suggest that implementation of the VAT Law starting July 1, 2017 at the originally proposed...