Educating for the present and the future: using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address the learning crisis

Can Artificial Intelligence (IA) help address massive education gaps? The answer is a cautious EducacionTecnolog-aLAC 1140x500and optimistic yes. 1.8 billion students in the world should receive a good education. However, half of them do not achieve basic reading and numeracy skills needed for life.

Continue reading

Investing in rail can help put African cities on a more sustainable track

Africa is home to 11 of the world’s most populous cities, with urban areas growing rapidly. ke-nairobi-train-station-Bob-AdobeStock-383381979 1140x500While urbanization has fueled significant economic expansion across the region, it has also brought a variety of challenges, including a significant rise in the demand for motorized transport. The impact on people’s lives is hard to overstate: for the residents of African cities, more vehicles on the road often translates into chronic traffic congestion, longer commutes, as well as increased traffic fatalities and injuries.

Empowering Africa’s Youth: Bridging the Digital Skills Gap

Getting back on track to meet the first Sustainable Development Goal

 

Almost 10 years ago, countries worldwide adopted the Sustainable Development Goals sdgs-icp-1140x500 1140x500(SDGs), 17 targets for the global community to achieve by 2030 to ensure peace and prosperity for current and future generations. The first of these goals, SDG 1, calls for an end to poverty in all its forms everywhere.

Continue reading

Breakthrough pension reform in Saudi Arabia – A model for the MENA region

Saudi Arabia took a big leap forward in transforming its pension system with the recent Arabia-Saudi-Hero-stock-1258462660 1140x500announcement of comprehensive reforms, designed with support from the World Bank, aimed at enhancing income protection during old-age, but also promoting gender equality. Aging populations, caused by increasing life expectancy and falling fertility rates, combined with the changing nature of work and the erosion of informal and traditional family support systems, have created considerable challenges for pension systems worldwide. Many are facing fiscal sustainability pressures and adequacy concerns, including in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Pension reform is always difficult due to the political economy challenges, which is why this comprehensive pension reform in Saudi Arabia is such a breakthrough. It truly sets a new benchmark for the MENA region, addressing critical issues such as retirement age, maternity leave, and social insurance coverage.

Continue reading

4 things we learned since kicking off our Food Security Updates

In the turbulence following the COVID-19 pandemic, one issue has consistently been a global concern: food security. Since the pandemic’s onset in 2020, food prices have experienced dramatic shifts, influenced by a number of factors. The World Bank’s Food Security Update, drawing from national and public sources across 160 countries, has attempted to track these fluctuations, and provide information to policymakers, economists, and stakeholders. This guidance has helped shape decisions aimed at promoting economic stability, food security, and social welfare.

Continue reading

Smart health taxes: A win for public health and the economy

Imagine a world where strategic investments in health not only save lives but also drive shutterstock-2102731174 1140x500economic growth and resilience. This vision was at the heart of the 7th Annual Health Financing Forum, where hundreds of participants and experts recently gathered to explore health financing in the post COVID-19 era.

Continue reading

Digital pathfinders: The role of youth in the online gig economy

Imagine a world where strategic investments in health not only save lives but also drive shutterstock-2102731174 1140x500economic growth and resilience. This vision was at the heart of the 7th Annual Health Financing Forum, where hundreds of participants and experts recently gathered to explore health financing in the post COVID-19 era.

As we face the slowest five-year growth in 30 years, with financial stress, inflation, and heightened debt levels, innovative fiscal policies are critical. The economic slowdown, amplified by COVID-19’s lingering effects, underscores the need for public investments in health and other social priorities like education to support human capital.

Continue reading