Explore the vast range of titles available.

Developing country governments and the international development community are looking for ways to accelerate access to improved water and sanitation services beyond the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets. Countries do not have the capacity to meet the need for improved water supplies and sanitation services from public resources alone. These challenges present an opportunity for domestic enterprises in these growing markets. In fact, millions of poor and non-poor households rely on the private sector to meet their needs. The range of private sector services provided goes far beyond final service delivery. The domestic private sector is increasingly being viewed as a central part of the solution. Governments are increasingly interested in engaging with the private sector to increase access of the poor to services. Effective scale-up of access through the domestic private sector requires an understanding of the market potential, the state of entrepreneurs' operations, and factors that shape their business environment and investment decisions. This document examines private sector provision of piped water services and on-site sanitation services in rural areas and small towns, with case studies from several countries. The preferences and circumstances of poor households and the performance of enterprises that provide services directly to them are examined, as are commercial and investment climate factors that may affect enterprises' actual or perceived costs and risks.

The world confronts major challenges in rural development as it enters the 21st century. Most of the world’s poverty is in rural areas, and will remain so, yet there is a pro-urban bias in most countries’ development strategies, and in their allocation of public investment funds. Rural people, and ethnic minorities, in particular, have little political clout to influence public policy to attract more public investment in rural areas.This document outlines a holistic and spatial approach that tackles some tough and long-ignored issues and also addresses old issues in new ways. The revised action-oriented strategy provides guidelines and focal points for enhancing the effectiveness of the World Bank’s rural development efforts.

What needs to be done to enable the domestic private sector to expand its role in the provision of safe water and improved sanitation to the poor in developing countries? Is an expanded role constrained because there is limited market potential, or is the problem the fact that business models cannot support an expansion of supply? Are government policies and the investment climate making expansion too costly or risky for enterprises to scale up their operations? This book presents the results of a detailed examination of market opportunities for the domestic private sector in the provision of piped water and on-site sanitation services in rural and semi-urban areas and of the commercial, policy, and investment climate that affect the response to these opportunities. It is based on case studies conducted in Bangladesh, Benin, Cambodia, Indonesia, Peru, and Tanzania. The results of focus group discussions with poor households, surveys of enterprises directly serving poor households, and analysis of the supply chains that support them provide insights into the nature of demand for services, the prevailing business models adopted by enterprises, and the impact of policy on decisions to invest or expand operations. The issues preventing the large market for providing poor—and nonpoor—households with piped water and on-site sanitation differ in important ways. This book therefore addresses the two sectors separately. The first part of the book analyzes the challenges facing domestic providers of piped water in Bangladesh, Benin, and Cambodia, countries where very different models of private provision have emerged in response to differing approaches taken by government. The second part analyzes providers of on-site sanitation services in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Peru, and Tanzania, where the models are similar and all providers face demand- and supply-side challenges that are largely unaffected by government policy. This book will be of interest to governments and their multilateral and bilateral development partners, as well as local and international nongovernment agencies concerned with reducing the heavy toll that lack of access to safe water and hygienic sanitation is imposing on poor people around the world. It proposes recommendations that each of these actors can adopt to harness the entrepreneurial capabilities of the domestic private sector to address this continuing challenge.

Unlock the transformative power of microfinance for global poverty reduction.This insightful title explores how to build inclusive financial systems that empower the poor and drive economic growth in developing countries.Drawing on a decade of CGAP experience, it offers a comprehensive framework for expanding access to financial services for all.

Purpose Poverty alleviation is a global challenge. Human society has never ceased to fight against poverty. China was once the developing country with the largest rural poor population in the world. Remarkable achievements have been made in China’s antipoverty program over the past decades, shaping a unique poverty reduction strategy with Chinese characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to first review the history of China’s rural reform and antipoverty, and then analyze the related policy systems, mechanism innovations and future challenges in poverty alleviation and development. At last, some specific policy implications were provided. Design/methodology/approach Literature on China’s antipoverty history was reviewed and mechanism innovations on targeted poverty alleviation strategy were investigated. Findings Along with the deepening of the rural reform, the poverty alleviation and development in new China have undergone six stages, and experienced a transformation from relief-oriented to development-oriented poverty alleviation. The object of poverty alleviation has gradually targeted with a transformation from poor counties/areas to villages/households, and the effectiveness of poverty alleviation is also gradually improved. However, the increase in the difficulty of antipoverty, fragile ecological environment, rapid population aging and rural decline poses challenges to the construction of a well-off society in an all-round way in China. Specific antipoverty measures were put forward based on the investigation. Finally, the authors emphasize the importance of strengthening the study of poverty geography. Originality/value This study investigates the history of China’s antipoverty policy and analyzes the future challenges for implementing targeted poverty alleviation policy. These findings will lay a foundation for the formulation of China’s antipoverty policies after 2020, and provide experience for poverty alleviation in other developing countries around the world.

It is frequently stated in the scientific literature, official reports and the press that 80% of Asian and African populations use traditional medicine (TM) to meet their healthcare needs; however, this statistic was first reported in 1983. This study aimed to update knowledge of the prevalence of TM use and the characteristics of those who access it, to inform health policy-makers as countries seek to fulfil the WHO TM strategy 2014–23 and harness TM for population health. Prevalence of reported use of TM was studied in 35 334 participants of the WHO-SAGE, surveyed 2007–10. TM users were compared with users of modern healthcare in univariate and multivariate analyses. Characteristics examined included age, sex, geography (urban/rural), income quintile, education, self-reported health and presence of specific chronic conditions. This study found TM use was highest in India, 11.7% of people reported that their most frequent source of care during the previous 3 years was TM; 19.0% reported TM use in the previous 12 months. In contrast <3% reported TM as their most frequent source of care in China, Ghana, Mexico, Russia and South Africa; and <2% reported using TM in the previous year in Ghana, Mexico, Russia and South Africa. In univariate analyses, poorer, less educated and rural participants were more likely to be TM-users. In the China multivariate analysis, rurality, poor self-reported health and presence of arthritis were associated with TM use; whereas diagnosed diabetes, hypertension and cataracts were less prevalent in TM users. In Ghana and India, lower income, depression and hypertension were associated with TM use. In conclusion, TM use is less frequent than commonly reported. It may be unnecessary, and perhaps futile, to seek to employ TM for population health needs when populations are increasingly using modern medicine. Il est souvent dit dans la littérature scientifique, les rapports officiels et la presse que 80% des populations asiatiques et africaines ont recours à la médecine traditionnelle (MT) pour satisfaire leurs besoins en matière de soins de santé; toutefois, cette donnée statistique n’a été diffusée pour la première fois qu’en 1983. La présente étude vise à mettre à jour les connaissances sur la prévalence du recours à la MT et les caractéristiques de ceux qui y ont accès, afin d’éclairer les décideurs du secteur de la santé puisque les pays cherchent à se conformer à la stratégie 2014-23 de l ’OMS relative à la MT, et à exploiter la MT au profit de la santé des populations. La prévalence du recours déclaré à la MT a été étudiée chez 35 334 participants du programme OMS-SAGE, interrogés entre 2007 et 2010. On a procédé à une comparaison des personnes qui ont recours à la MT avec celles qui utilisent les soins de santé modernes par le biais d’analyses univariées et multivariées. Les caractéristiques étudiées comprenaient l’âge, le sexe, la géographie (urbaine/rurale), le quintile de revenu, l’éducation, l’état de santé déclaré et la présence de maladies chroniques spécifiques. Cette étude a révélé que le recours à la MT était plus courant en Inde: 11,7% des personnes ont déclaré que la MT était leur source de soins la plus courante au cours des 3 années précédentes; 19,0% ont déclaré avoir eu recours à la MT au cours des 12 mois précédents. En revanche en Chine, au Ghana, au Mexique, en Russie et en Afrique du Sud, <3% ont déclaré la MT comme leur source de soins la plus courante; et<2% ont déclaré avoir eu recours à la MT l’année précédente au Ghana, au Mexique, en Russie et en Afrique du Sud. En analyse univariée, les participants les plus pauvres, les moins instruits et ceux vivant dans les zones rurales étaient plus susceptibles de recourir à la MT. Dans l’analyse multivariée du cas de la Chine, la ruralité, le mauvais état de santé déclaré et la présence d’arthrite ont été associés au recours à la MT; alors que les cas diagnostiqués de diabète, d’hypertension et de cataracte étaient moins fréquents chez les usagers de la MT. Au Ghana et en Inde, le faible revenu, la dépression et l’hypertension ont été associés au recours à la MT. En conclusion, le recours à la MT est moins fréquent qu’on ne l’affirme souvent. Il peut s’avérer inutile, et peut-être futile, de chercher à satisfaire les besoins sanitaires de la population par le biais de la MT lorsque ces populations ont de plus en plus recours à la médecine moderne. Con frecuencia se afirma en la literatura científica, en los informes oficiales y en la prensa que el 80% de la población asiática y africana utiliza la medicina tradicional (MT) para satisfacer sus necesidades de cuidado de la salud; sin embargo, esta estadística se reportó por primera vez en 1983. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo actualizar los conocimientos de la prevalencia del uso de la MT y las características de las personas que acceden a ella, para informar a los formuladores de política de salud a medida que los países buscan cumplir la estrategia de la OMS MT 2014-23 y aprovechar la MT para la salud de la población. La prevalencia del uso informado de la MT se estudió en 35,334 participantes de la OMS-SAGE (Grupo Estratégico Consejero de Expertos), encuestados en 2007-10. Los usuarios de la MT se compararon con los usuarios del cuidado de la salud moderno en los análisis univariantes y multivariantes. Las características examinadas incluyeron edad, sexo, geografía (urbano/rural), quintil de ingreso, educación, percepción de salud y presencia de enfermedades crónicas específicas. Este estudio encontró que el uso de la MT era más alto en la India, el 11.7% de las personas informaron que su fuente más frecuente de cuidado durante los 3 años anteriores fue la MT; el 19.0% reportó el uso de la MT en los 12 meses anteriores. En contraste <3% mencionó la MT como su más frecuente fuente de cuidado en China, Ghana, México, Rusia y Sudáfrica; y <2% reportó el uso de MT en el año anterior en Ghana, México, Rusia y Sudáfrica. En los análisis univariantes, los más pobres, los menos educados y los participantes rurales eran más propensos a ser usuarios de la MT. En el análisis multivariante de China, la ruralidad, los autoinformes de salud pobre y la presencia de la artritis se asociaron con el uso de la MT; mientras que el diagnóstico de diabetes, hipertensión y cataratas eran menos prevalentes en los usuarios de la MT. En Ghana y en la India, los ingresos más bajos, la depresión y la hipertensión fueron asociados con el uso de la MT. En conclusión, el uso de la MT es menos frecuente de lo que comúnmente se reporta. Puede ser innecesario, y hasta inútil, tratar de emplear la MT para las necesidades de salud de la población cuando las poblaciones están utilizando cada vez más la medicina moderna. 科学文献、官方报告和出版物经常提及80%亚洲和非洲人口 使用传统药物满足他们的医疗需求；但是该数据最初于1983 年提出。本文旨在更新传统药物使用普及性的知识以及使用 人群的特性, 从而提醒医疗政策制定者力求实现世界卫生组织 2014-2023传统药物战略和控制传统药物对人口健康的影响。 披露的传统药物使用的普及性来自对2007-2010年35334名世 界卫生组织——全球老龄化和成人健康组织调查参与者的调 查结果。传统药物使用者与现代医疗使用者在单因素和多因 素分析中进行比较。调查的特征包括年龄、性别、地区性 （城市/乡村） 、收入等级、教育水平、自评健康状况、是否 存在特殊慢性疾病。本研究发现传统药物在印度使用率最高, 11.7%的被调查者表明他们在近3年最常用的医疗方式是传统 药物；19.0%的人回答他们在过去12个月使用过传统药物。相 反, 在中国、加纳、墨西哥、俄罗斯和南非, 低于3%的人将传 统药物当作他们最常用的医疗方式；在加纳、墨西哥、俄罗 斯和南非低于2%的人在过去1年使用传统药物。在多变量分 析中, 较贫困、较低教育水平和乡村地区的被调查者更可能使 用传统药物。在中国多变量分析中, 乡村地区、自评健康条件 较差和存在关节炎的被调查者与传统药物使用相关；然而糖 尿病、高血压和白内障患者更不可能成为传统药物使用者。 在加纳和印度, 较低收入人群、抑郁症和高血压患者更可能使 用传统药物。总之, 传统药物使用没有通常报告中描绘的那样 普遍。当人们更多使用现代药物的时候, 或许没有必要为人口 健康寻求如何探索利用传统药物。

A Development Emergency: the title of this year's Global Monitoring Report, the sixth in an annual series, could not be more apt. The global economic crisis, the most severe since the Great Depression, is rapidly turning into a human and development crisis. No region is immune. The poor countries are especially vulnerable, as they have the least cushion to withstand events. The crisis, coming on the heels of the food and fuel crises, poses serious threats to their hard-won gains in boosting economic growth and reducing poverty. It is pushing millions back into poverty and putting at risk the very survival of many. The prospect of reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, already a cause for serious concern, now looks even more distant. A global crisis must be met with a global response. The crisis began in the financial markets of developed countries, so the first order of business must be to stabilize these markets and counter the recession that the financial turmoil has triggered. At the same time, strong and urgent actions are needed to counter the impact of the crisis on developing countries and help them restore strong growth while protecting the poor. Global Monitoring Report 2009, prepared jointly by the staff of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, provides a development perspective on the global economic crisis. It assesses the impact on developing countries, their growth, poverty reduction, and other MDGs. And it sets out priorities for policy response, both by developing countries themselves and by the international community. This report also focuses on the ways in which the private sector can be better mobilized in support of development goals, especially in the aftermath of the crisis.

This study examines the effect of financial inclusion on poverty and vulnerability to poverty of Ghanaian households. Using data extracted from the seventh round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey in 2016/17, a multiple correspondence analysis is employed to generate a financial inclusion index, and three-stage feasible least squares is used to estimate households’ vulnerability to poverty. Endogeneity associated with financial inclusion is resolved using distance to the nearest bank as an instrument in an instrumental variables probit technique. Results showed that while 23.4% of Ghanaians are considered poor, about 51% are vulnerable to poverty. We found that an increase in financial inclusion has two effects on household poverty. First, it is associated with a decline in a household’s likelihood of being poor by 27%. Second, it prevents a household’s exposure to future poverty by 28%. Female-headed households have a greater chance of experiencing a larger reduction in poverty and vulnerability to poverty through enhanced financial inclusion than do male-headed households. Furthermore, financial inclusion reduces poverty and vulnerability to poverty more in rural than in urban areas. Governments are encouraged to design or enhance policies that provide an enabling environment for the private sector to innovate and expand financial services to more distant places. Government investment in, and regulation of, the mobile money industry will be a necessary step to enhancing financial inclusion in developing countries.