After years of neglect of its health system, Sierra Leone has had, starting in 1993, remarkable successes in health reform. As there have been few cases of health reform in Africa, a study was undertaken to examine the experience. Through interviews, surveys, focus groups, mass meetings, task...

The note presents an overview on gender strategies for Sub-Saharan Africa, and, illustrates the direct relevance of specific, regional gender characteristics, to its socioeconomic development. Strategic objectives point at increasing women's effective access to financial services, particularly...

The Institutional Environment Assessment (IEA) carried out in Sao Tome e Principe in October-November 1996, sought to assist the government in identifying the root causes of the country's poor economic performance and in formulating strategies to address them. It was a self-diagnostic exercise...

Despite its importance to sustainable development, very little information exists on environmental health linkages. Being multisectoral, it escapes focused attention during project design. Recently, however, the World Bank conducted a study on Sub-Saharan Africa infrastructure operations to...

The objective of this paper is to address the issue of building institutional and financial capacity for maintenance of the road network. Lessons learned: the involvement of road users and other stakeholders in the management of funds wins public support and strengthens market discipline; and the...

The report requested by the government of Malawi updates the poverty assessment completed in March 1990. It will guide policy and investment priorities, and inform the design of programs intended to improve living conditions and increase incomes of the people in Malawi. A greater understanding...

Environmental degradation primarily affects the poor, both in rural and urban areas. Reversing the downward spiral of this degradation is essential to any strategy for reducing poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study outlines the World Bank's strategy for improving its assistance to SSA...

Veterans and their dependents constituted a particularly vulnerable group due to their lack of civic awareness, low skill level and few resources, a culture of dependency, and their potential threat to security. The Uganda Veterans Assistance Program (UVAB) assistance consisted of three...

The population growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), at 2.7 per cent per year, is one of the highest in the world. This high growth rate tends to offset reductions in the number of poor in most SSA countries, as the rate of population increase is higher among the poor than the non-poor. The...

Sector Investment Programs (SIPs) are an integral part of the World Bank's strategy for renewal in Africa. The objective of the study was therefore to examine the key elements of SIPs, to explain their rationale, and to prepare a practical guide for their preparation. Further, the objective was...