Many South Asian countries experienced changes in government and strong economic growth since the early 2000s. Poverty and social exclusion have received growing attention, and many governments in the region strengthened their commitments to ensure equal access to basic healthcare, education and...

Many South Asian countries experienced changes in government and strong economic growth since the early 2000s. Poverty and social exclusion have received growing attention, and many governments in the region strengthened their commitments to ensure equal access to basic healthcare, education and...

Many South Asian countries experienced changes in government and strong economic growth since the early 2000s. Poverty and social exclusion have received growing attention, and many governments in the region strengthened their commitments to ensure equal access to basic healthcare, education and...

Social protection policies can help address the multifaceted nature of child poverty and improve children's well-being, especially in the areas of education, health and nutrition. Providing adequate social protection to children is particularly relevant in the Middle East and North Africa...

Child poverty remains an issue of concern in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Although the region has made significant progress in reducing extreme poverty and improving health, education and child survival rates, progress has been uneven. Higher-income countries have advanced...

This report reviews Jordan's public health expenditure and develops options to enhance spending efficiency that support the government's health and fiscal consolidation efforts. The particular focus of the mission was to provide support on: (1) overall health spending analysis, (2) support...

IMF country teams have become increasingly engaged on health spending issues in surveillance and program work, and more so since the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary objectives of health spending are to improve health outcomes and provide protection to households against high financial costs of...

This note discusses, through selected country case studies, how digital health records and telemedicine can improve delivery quality, access to underserved populations, and resource utilization in healthcare. In addition, it shows how digital disease surveillance tools can identify outbreaks and...

This text argues that the criteria used to define Bolsa Família benefits and the criteria used to establish coverage targets are inconsistent. While individual concession criteria are that beneficiaries should be paid for two years if they do not suffer large upward income mobility, the...