Category Archives: Uncategorized

Five alarming statistics on global hunger

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As we welcome 2025 and close the first quarter of the 21st century, it is a moment for reflection. We find ourselves at a pivotal midpoint—five years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and five years away from the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet, food and nutrition insecurity remain pressing global challenges. Many countries continue to grapple with recurring crises fueled by climate change, high food prices, and conflict, all of which undermine access to the healthy, nutritious food that people need to thrive.

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Heads of State Commit to Concrete Plans to Transform Africa’s Energy Sector, with Strong Backing from Global Partners

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DAR ES SALAAM, January 28, 2025 — Thirty African Heads of State and governments today committed to concrete reforms and actions to expand access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to power economic growth, improve quality of life, and drive job creation across the continent.  

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Cameroon’s journey toward affordable, reliable, and universal electricity access for all

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • In rural Cameroon, 75% of the population remains without electricity, even though many live near the grid.
  • The Nachtigal Hydropower Plant financed by the World Bank Group together with partners, will increase Cameroon’s power generation capacity by 30%.
  • In addition to hydropower, Cameroon is developing several solar photovoltaic plants with a total installed capacity of 250 MW to transition to a greener electricity generation mix.
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Bringing Light and Life to Rural Health Centers in Madagascar

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A rural health center in Mateliona Betafo, Madagascar, has transformed healthcare delivery with solar-powered electricity through the World Bank-supported LEAD Project. For nearly seven years, midwives like Lovatiana Rasoarinjanahary worked under unsafe, dim conditions, relying on candles or dying phone batteries. Since June 2024, the center – one of 500 electrified by LEAD – now provides safe, well-lit care, benefiting vulnerable populations. The project improves lighting, refrigeration, and sterilization, enhancing maternal and child healthcare while supporting Madagascar’s goal to double electricity access through cost-effective, off-grid solutions. Lives and communities are brighter and safer with this innovation.

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Why developing economies need a new playbook

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As the 21st century dawned, world leaders were in a confident mood. They resolved to make “the right to development a reality for everyone” and free “the entire human race from want.” Fifteen years later, buoyed by the initial burst of progress, they set a tight deadline: “We resolve, between now and 2030, to end poverty and hunger everywhere.”  

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International Day of Education 2025: Digital solutions for equitable education systems

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The 2025 International Day of Education inspires reflectionson the power of education to equip individuals and communities navigate, understand and influence technological advancement. This year the focus is “AI and Education: Preserving Agency in a World of Automation.”

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Emerging and Developing Economies in the 21st Century

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Global growth is expected to hold steady at 2.7 percent in 2025-26. However, the global economy appears to be settling at a low growth rate that will be insufficient to foster sustained economic development. Emerging market and developing economies are set to enter the second quarter of the 21st century with per capita incomes on a trajectory that implies feeble catch-up toward those of advanced economies. Most low-income countries are not on course to graduate to middle-income status by 2050. Policy action at the global and national levels is needed to foster a more favorable external environment, enhance macroeconomic stability, reduce structural constraints, address the effects of climate change, and thus accelerate long-term growth and development.

Global Economic Prospects

Transforming Public Education: Innovative Programs Aim to Close Learning Gaps and Foster Student Success in Salvador, Brazil

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A visit to the Iacy Vaz Fagundes school, tucked away on a side street in the Federação neighborhood of Salvador, Brazil, quickly reveals the challenges faced by vulnerable students. In one of the classrooms, a learner from the City Council’s Learning Support Program (PAAP) was working with two girls aged 9 and 10. Despite being old enough to read and understand simple texts, they couldn’t even associate the sound of the vowel “A” with words like “amor” (love), “abacaxi” (pineapple), and “açúcar” (sugar). Witnessing this, one can’t help but wonder about the future jobs and lives these girls will have if they continue to struggle with basic reading skills, which are essential for learning a wide range of subjects.

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Power for progress: a call from African leaders and partners to electrify Africa

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For many of us, the simple act of flipping a switch to light up our homes or power our devices are taken for granted. Electricity fuels modern progress—it powers hospitals and schools, enables businesses, and connects us to the world.

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From clicks to care: Targeting social media to improve health in vulnerable communities

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Over the past decade, internet access in low- and middle-income countries has surged, with 62% of the population online by 2022 (The World Bank). This growing connectivity has led governments, researchers, and development organizations to turn to social media for spreading important health messages. However, social media algorithms tend to prioritize the most active users, making it unclear whether campaigns reach and impact those who need them most—such as individuals at high risk of contracting malaria.
 

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