Books published by World Bank Publications

Reviews the development status of zero- to six-year olds in China, assesses the equity of access to services, and explores policy options to serve disadvantaged children. It concludes that although China has achieved good indicators on health and education, there is a major gap in the provision of services to this age group.

Describes the impact of shocks on human development from diverse disciplinary perspectives, and explores interventions to protect young people and promote healthy development through a crisis.

Breaks down the various types of cities and evaluates the key factors used to look at cities, such as innovation, green growth, spatial concentration, and smart cities in order to understand how cities work. Why is it that certain cities attract talent? How do some cities become business hubs? Why is it that few cities become increasingly competitive while others remain stagnant?

Examines the characteristics of trade intermediated by a network of bazaars in Central Asia and its significance for local economies. It uncovers the dynamic phenomenon of bazaars in propelling trade. The book examines the public policy implications of bazaar or non-standard trade and actions that could be taken to foster such trade.

In the past fifteen years, Brazil has made great strides in increasing its population's access to early child education, with both preschool and creche enrolment increasing by over fifty per cent. Education programs for young children have consistently been shown to have long-term positive effects on life outcomes of participants.

For two decades now, experiences in decentralization and federalization have been in progress in many countries, particularly in Sub Saharan Africa. How can these processes be understood and improved? Focusing on four Sub-Saharan countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya and Senegal), this volume applies an original approach to address such questions.

Presents research findings on India's major central and state government-sponsored health insurance schemes (GSHISs). The analysis centers on the GSHISs launched since 2007. These schemes targeted poor populations, aiming to provide financial protection against catastrophic health shocks, defined in terms of inpatient care.

The government of the Republic of Congo is taking a system approach to reorganising its health system. It is endeavouring to create a political, juridical, and regulatory environment to foster the development of its health care services under government leadership working with the private sector