Effective budget execution in health is critical for achieving universal health coverage and reaching 1.5 billion people with quality health services by 2030. Developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, this report examines how budget execution impacts health service delivery, identifies common challenges, and offers practical recommendations for improvement. Country case… [Read More]
World Bank
From Floods to Resilience: How Cambodia’s Gap Fund Builds Greener, Safer Cities
Cambodia is urbanizing rapidly, with nearly a quarter of its 17 million population now living in cities—a figure expected to reach 6 million by 2050. While urban growth has driven economic development and job creation, it has also intensified inequality and heightened vulnerability to climate impacts, particularly floods and extreme heat. In Phnom Penh, informal… [Read More]
World Bank Issues NOK 5 Billion Floating Rate Sustainable Development Bond
The World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IBRD, rated Aaa/AAA) has priced a 5 billion Norwegian krone-denominated floating rate Sustainable Development Bond, maturing on December 16, 2030. The bond carries a quarterly coupon of 3-month NIBOR plus 20 basis points and was issued at par. Nordea and SEB served as lead managers for… [Read More]
Investing in Nutrition: The Key to Building a Healthier, More Productive Guatemala
In Guatemala, chronic malnutrition continues to pose one of the country’s most pressing challenges, with 46% of children under the age of two suffering from it. This alarming rate means that nearly half of Guatemalan children face compromised physical, cognitive, and economic development even before beginning school, placing Guatemala among the most affected countries in… [Read More]
Australia Pledges AUD 4 Million to Boost Safe Trade in Developing Nations
Australia is contributing AUD 4 million (approximately CHF 2.1 million) through the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) to help developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs) benefit from global agriculture markets. This funding supports the STDF’s 2025–2030 Strategy, “Facilitating Safe Trade to Meet the Global Goals,” which aims to strengthen sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacities,… [Read More]
Ivory Coast Secures Africa’s First Sustainability-Linked Loan Backed by World Bank Guarantee
Ivory Coast has successfully raised €433 million ($507 million) through Africa’s first sustainability-linked foreign currency loan, backed by guarantees from the World Bank. The landmark deal highlights the country’s growing focus on sustainable finance as it works to strengthen resilience against climate shocks and diversify its funding sources. Earlier in July, Ivory Coast had also… [Read More]
Rockefeller Foundation Launches Initiative to Strengthen Development Finance for Resilient Asian Economies
The Rockefeller Foundation has announced a US$200,000 grant through its Asia Regional Office to support AVPN’s new Asia Partnership for Investment in Resilient Economies (ASPIRE), an initiative aimed at strengthening development finance and supporting vulnerable communities across Asia. ASPIRE seeks to scale Asian-led financing solutions that address regional development challenges while connecting capital to community-driven… [Read More]
Ethiopia’s Urban Program Generates Over One Million Jobs, Strengthening Livelihoods
The Ethiopia Urban Institutional and Infrastructure Development Program (UIIDP), supported by the World Bank, has created over 1.15 million jobs while improving infrastructure and living conditions in 117 cities, benefiting more than 6.6 million people. The program strengthened local governance and financial systems, enabling cities to plan, deliver, and sustain employment-generating urban development, even amid… [Read More]
Energy for All: Accelerating Universal Energy Access in Mozambique
Mozambique has made significant strides in expanding electricity access, nearly doubling its electrification rate from 31 percent in 2018 to 60 percent by the end of 2024. This achievement, benefitting around 9.5 million people, is largely attributed to the World Bank-supported ProEnergia project, which forms part of Mozambique’s National Energy for All Program. ProEnergia has… [Read More]
Ethiopia Strengthens Livelihoods Through Poultry Farming Initiatives
Imran Abba Jihad, a disabled farmer in southwest Ethiopia, has transformed his livelihood through poultry farming under the Livestock and Fisheries Sector Development Project (LFSDP). Before joining the project, Imran had no income-generating activities and limited experience in poultry farming, leaving his family of five vulnerable to food insecurity. In 2023, he joined the Kena… [Read More]
The Gambia’s Economy Sustains Strong Growth Despite Global Challenges
The Gambia’s economy has shown steady resilience and recovery, recording a real GDP growth of 5.7% in 2024, according to the World Bank’s Fifth Economic Update for the country. This performance underscores the nation’s successful recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its ability to withstand persistent global economic challenges. Growth in 2024… [Read More]
Aid Efforts Underway After Devastating Earthquake Wipes Out Afghan Villages
The UN Secretary-General expressed full solidarity with the people of Afghanistan following a devastating earthquake that struck the country, offering condolences to the victims’ families and wishing a swift recovery for the injured. The UN team in Afghanistan is actively mobilized to assist those affected in the impacted regions. Several UN agencies reported widespread destruction… [Read More]
Protecting Nature Fuels Economic Growth and Jobs, Finds New Global Report
A new World Bank report reveals that 90% of the global population lives with at least one major environmental challenge—degraded land, unhealthy air, or water stress—while in low-income countries, 80% of people lack access to all three. The report, Reboot Development: The Economics of a Livable Planet, highlights how these environmental deficits are not just… [Read More]
Unlocking Private Sector Investment to Boost Job Creation and Sustainable Growth
Togo has experienced steady and robust economic growth over the past decade, but it now faces new challenges amid increasing regional and global uncertainties, according to the World Bank’s latest economic update. To navigate these uncertainties and accelerate development, the report recommends that Togo deepen structural reforms, implement its fiscal consolidation strategy, and attract greater… [Read More]
Thailand’s Blue Economy Boosted by World Bank Support and Coastal Protection Funding
Thailand is intensifying its efforts to harness the potential of its blue economy with significant technical support from the World Bank. A key part of this initiative includes plans to issue the country’s first sovereign blue bond, which will finance sustainable, ocean-based development. Given Thailand’s 23 coastal provinces and over 3,000 kilometers of coastline, marine… [Read More]
Cambodia: World Bank Launches New Project to Improve Education and Learning for Young Children
The World Bank has approved the Basic Education Improvement Project, which aims to enhance education quality in Cambodia and benefit more than 1.7 million children. The initiative is supported by a $100 million credit from the International Development Association and a $5 million grant from the Early Learning Partnership Multi-Donor Trust Fund. Its primary goal… [Read More]
Creating Jobs to Empower People Living in Poverty
The global economy faces a pressing challenge: over the next decade, 1.2 billion young people in emerging markets will reach working age, but only 420 million jobs are expected to be created. This leaves hundreds of millions, many from poor and vulnerable communities, without stable income or opportunities for economic mobility. While long-term job creation… [Read More]
World Bank Launches Project to Protect Indigenous Lands and Ecosystems in Xingu, Amazon
The World Bank’s Board of Directors has approved a new project aimed at protecting forests and promoting sustainable development in the Lower Xingu region of Pará, Brazil. Developed in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Government of Pará, the Brazilian Forest Service, and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio),… [Read More]
World Bank Launches New Initiative Linking Fiscal Sustainability and Forest Conservation in Amazonas
The World Bank Board of Directors has approved a new operation to boost the environmental governance of the State of Amazonas by enhancing its fiscal sustainability, and mobilizing finance for forest conservation and a low-carbon bioeconomy. This will provide more economic opportunities and jobs for the State’s population, especially Indigenous Peoples, smallholders, and traditional forest-dwelling… [Read More]
World Bank Report Outlines Strategies for Energy Security and Job Creation in East Asia
The World Bank has released a new report, Green Horizon: East Asia’s Sustainable Energy Future, which presents actionable strategies for modernizing and upgrading the region’s energy systems. The report focuses on aligning power and industrial sectors to sustain long-term growth, create jobs, and enhance economic competitiveness across East Asia. It serves as a follow-up to… [Read More]
Green Horizon: Advancing Sustainable Energy in East Asia
The Green Horizon: East Asia’s Sustainable Energy Future report provides a comprehensive roadmap for aligning energy and development objectives across East Asia. It emphasizes decarbonizing the power and industrial sectors—which together account for 75–87 percent of regional emissions—through strategies such as enhanced efficiency, electrification, renewable energy deployment, and advanced technologies like green hydrogen and carbon… [Read More]
Early Childhood Investment in El Salvador: Unlocking Transformative Growth
Over the past several years, significant progress has been made in transforming education in El Salvador, driven by collaboration between the World Bank and local partners. Three major achievements stand out: mobilizing funds to invest in critical areas such as school infrastructure, teacher training, and educational materials; fostering collaboration among government entities, NGOs, and civil… [Read More]
World Bank Launches Education Project in Punjab to Benefit 4 Million+ Children
The World Bank has approved a US$47.9 million grant, funded by the Global Partnership for Education Fund, to enhance educational access and quality for children in Pakistan’s Punjab province. The support is aimed at improving participation among both girls and boys at pre-primary and primary levels, strengthening learning outcomes, and providing remedial support for elementary… [Read More]
