Elon Musk and Twitter Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino unveiled a logo for the social media platform on Monday that featured a white X on a black background as a replacement for the familiar blue bird symbol. “X is here! Let’s do this,” tweeted Yaccarino, who also posted a picture of the logo projected onto […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the critical need for Sub-Saharan African countries to prioritize investment in primary health care to develop a robust and resilient health care system capable of successfully combatting infectious diseases. Strong primary health care systems in nations like Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam may have contributed to their ability to respond […]
Green infrastructure and Nature-based solutions (NBS) can play a critical role in improving water security, including mitigation and adaption to climate change. It is often more resilient, flexible, and reversible than traditional infrastructure and it can allow clients to gradually adapt to changing circumstances. This added value is important given the uncertainties related to the level […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has led school systems worldwide to experiment with various forms of blended learning—combining in-person and online instruction. These experiences have provided valuable insights into the benefits and challenges of different learning modalities. All of these lessons taught us that blended learning is much more than just a temporary solution for the pandemic; […]
Data from the Global Findex Database indicate that the percentage of adults with bank accounts in Ethiopia has more than doubled since 2014 to reach 46%. However, despite this growth, financial equity in the population has decreased. In particular, there are significant disparities in account ownership based on gender, income, and education. As of 2022, women are […]
The end of the last commodity supercycle (2002-2014) plunged oil-dependent nations into a prolonged recession, undoing the progress they had made during the boom. The Republic of Congo, Sub-Saharan Africa’s third largest oil producer, finds itself at a critical crossroads in its development. Oil-fueled growth propelled Congo to lower-middle-income status in 2005, nearly reaching upper-middle-income status […]
Young people around the world are deeply concerned with the current state and prospects for women, children and adolescent health. We see that stagnant progress and multiple global crises are threatening the health, rights and opportunities of millions of women, children and adolescents in the world’s poorest countries. More than 60 countries are now off […]
Human capital development is essential for sustained and inclusive growth. The wealth of modern nations depends not only on their natural resources: it also depends on their human resources. However, the countries of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) face major challenges in terms of education, health and economic inclusion. The following three […]
Gender equality is a fundamental human right, a matter of fairness and justice. It is a foundation for a peaceful and prosperous world and essential for development. It is also at the heart of the World Bank Group’s vision to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. However, progress in many areas of […]
The Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a massive gas and electricity price shock in Europe but did not cause a sharp drop in industrial production. In France, manufacturing production actually increased in 2022. This column estimates the effect of gas and electricity price shocks on French firms in 1996–2019. Although the shocks reduced export […]
