Books published by World Bank Publications

Designed to develop recommendations for a reform program to strengthen the existing policy framework for the public-private interface in the health sector and to improve the delivery of health related goods and services for all Malians.

Using case studies of sisal and soybean supply chains in Brazil and India respectively, this study explores the role and impact of intermediaries in facilitating trade in lagging regions. The study assesses the horizontal relationships between the small scale producers in thin markets and the vertical connections between different tiers of the same supply chain.

This case study emphasizes that is not only important to mobilize all opportunities to reconcile water demand and supply in river basins that are coming under increasing levels of water stress, but also to integrate effectively governance and anti-corruption reforms and sustainability improvements into all stages of the planning and project cycle - adding value for stakeholders.

Looks at the effects of increased trade in select services sectors, providing concrete recommendations that will allow developing countries to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of opening.

Highlights the interaction between social protection programs and labour markets in Latin America. It presents new evidence on the limited coverage of existing programs and emphasizes the challenges caused by high informality for achieving universal social protection for old age income, for health, for unemployment risks and for anti poverty safety nets.

Assesses the role of the private sector in the overall health system in Kenya. It considers the potential of the private sector to play a greater role and identifies ways to improve the public-private interface to increase equity, access and efficiency in the health system.

Presents unique evidence on health workers' career choices in Ethiopia. It shows that challenges like health workers' limited willingness to work in a rural area, as well as their likelihood to migrate abroad, vary substantially and are correlated with rural background, motivation, and job satisfaction.

Rural energy's importance to the Bangladesh economy cannot be underestimated. The problems rural people face in obtaining safe, clean, and reliable energy supplies are not minor inconveniences. This study underscores how improved access to rural energy services can create multiple benefits for rural life from income and labour productivity to education and women's health.

Examines the development of technical education in India, something that is seen as critical to India's aspirations of becoming a major competitive player in the global knowledge economy.

Relying on unique survey data, this analyses the career preferences of future health workers in Rwanda, focusing on their sector preference, their willingness to work in a rural area, likelihood to migrate abroad, and readiness to work in a high HIV prevalence environment. The findings show that health workers are not as uniform as is often thought, and can have very different preferences.

Presents specific policy options for the MOPH to consider to further build on the early gains made in the health sector in Afghanistan. The guiding principles of these options are consistency with the Ministry's vision and feasibility of implementation. These policy options tell a story with the central theme of expanding service coverage and what the Ministry needs to do to make that happen.

Evaluates the adequacy of the Education Training and Skills Development Sector (ETSDS) in Swaziland. Acknowledging that financing reforms will be a challenge, this paper makes recommendations to enhance the program's effectiveness, such as expanding access, strengthening delivery modes, and minimizing financial barriers to education and training.

How can the Middle East and North Africa region reduce spatial disparities in well-being without compromising growth? The solution lies in matching the policy package to a lagging area's specific characteristics. Drawing on the World Bank's 2009 World Development Report, Reshaping Economic Geography, the book proposes three policy packages.

Reviews performance of Uganda's health sector and assesses options for increasing total health spending and improving efficiency of health spending to improve health, nutrition, and population outcomes. The paper is targeted at policy makers in health those involved in financing of health services both within government and donor agencies.

Offers a conceptual framework for understanding and learning about technology innovation policies and programs, and their implementation in the context of different countries.

Provides guidelines and technical recommendations on microfinance based on various presentations and cases from around the world.

Contains statistical snapshots for 195 countries and 13 regional and income groups. This title includes overs 200 tables that focus on one country, region, or income group, explore immigration, emigration and skilled emigration, and inward and outward remittance flows.

Offers 'how to' ideas to help infrastructure practitioners identify good practice improvements in communication, starting with the World Bank's own expanding portfolio of dam projects.

Presents evidence-based arguments leading to the conclusion that extractive industry companies, with supportive government policies, could significantly improve their sustainable development impact on women and families by making some practical and simple changes to their working practices.

Africa has suffered several decades of inefficient air services, mostly provided by uncompetitive flag carriers. To foster liberalization and development of the air transport sector, African states adopted in 1999 the Yamoussoukro Decision. This book reviews progress made in implementing the decision, and gives recommendations for the way forward.

Telecommunications sector policy-makers and regulators have a wide range of instruments available to them that can be used to increase access to telecommunications services in rural and low-income areas. This paper provides a review of these instruments, evaluating them against a set of criteria.