The COVID-19 Dilemma: Public Health Versus the Economy
The tradeoff between lost lives during the pandemic and lost livelihoods is often viewed as an all-or-nothing choice between complete lockdown versus zero restrictions. In reality, a balance can be struck.
How Much Has COVID-19 Turned Back Asia’s Poverty Clock?
Without the right policies and programs, Asia’s poorest people could suffer needlessly as economies bounce back after the pandemic.
COVID-19: How Quickly Can Asia Bounce Back?
The pandemic is challenging policymakers across Asia. The shape of the economic recovery is uncertain but pro-active government and central bank policies can improve outcomes.
Countries in Central and West Asia Must Avoid a COVID-19 Race to the Bottom
Governments in Central and West Asia must commit to reforms and get them right, or face a downward spiral. The costs of the crisis are already obvious in rising deficits and debt. There is no room for complacency.
What Works to Control COVID-19?
An analysis of global responses to the virus indicate that expanding the capacity to test, trace, and isolate potential carriers is effective, as is the expansion of paid sick leave benefits.
Here’s How We Used Satellite Data to Map Poverty in Thailand and the Philippines
Innovative, new methods are needed to estimate poverty due to the high costs and long time frame of traditional methods.
Wellness in Worrying Times
Policies that promote wellness can help Asians navigate the uncertain, stressful COVID-19 world and achieve a better post-pandemic lifestyle.
How to Drive the Economy by Reforming State-Owned Debt
The more Viet Nam’s state-owned enterprises can access capital through the strength of their own balance sheets, the more they can help fund infrastructure, social development and COVID-19 response.
Private Debt, a Hidden Menace to Asia’s Financial Stability
Asian regulators and policy makers should undertake prudential financial supervision and regulation to improve the quality of private debt and reduce the risk of financial instability in the future.
Protecting the Remittance Lifeline from COVID-19’s Economic Fallout
Families throughout Asia and the Pacific rely on money sent by relatives overseas. These remittances are threatened by the pandemic but policy actions can help.