Moldovan firms wanting to export face severe financing constraints. The local banking system has neither the capital base nor the technical capacity to finance their working capital requirements. And export credit agencies either are not willing to provide cover, or, if they are, they require a...

This book summarizes, and highlights main messages from, a February 2007 Global Forum convened by the World Bank to discuss strategies, programs, and policies for building science, technology and innovation (STI) capacity to promote sustainable growth and poverty reduction in developing countries.

"The Latvian economy made great strides in recovering from the economic shock of the early transition and the adverse aftereffects of the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Nevertheless, Latvia faces serious challenges to its future growth and prosperity despite these impressive achievements and the...

Bringing essential services to the poor, whether in remote rural areas, provincial towns, or in the slums of megacities, is a great challenge for governments in developing countries. Lack of governmental capacity and fiscal resources at the national and local levels prevents effective public...

With 700 million people residing in rural India over a large and diverse topography, providing access to safe drinking water is a significant challenge. The government has tried, playing a key role in financing and implementing drinking water schemes. However, about 30 percent of urban and 90...

Tuberculosis (TB) afflicts 2.8 million citizens in India, representing more than 30 percent of the world’s total burden. To control TB, complete adherence to treatment is crucial—under the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Directly Observed Therapy Short-course (DOTS) strategy. In this...

In India, women and girls, especially in rural areas, are particularly affected by illiteracy. The social enterprise educate girls works to reform the existing school framework and create community ownership of government schools to improve Indian girls’ enrollment, retention, and academic...

India suffers from a high maternal and infant mortality rate, especially in rural areas, where poor women do not receive effective care and one in every 22 infants die within one year of life. In 2010, Dimagi, in partnership with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), IntraHealth International, Real...

Across Sub-Saharan Africa millions of people remain excluded from critical, life-enhancing services, such as access to water, energy, sanitation, education, and health care. As a result, approximately 600 million Africans lack access to electricity, while life expectancy and literacy are at...