Expanding Social Protection for the ‘Missing Middle’ in Asia-Pacific
Governments in the region must invest in building comprehensive social protection systems for the huge number of vulnerable people who do not qualify as extremely poor and are employed in the informal sector.
Helping Stitch Together a Sustainable Garment Industry in Bangladesh
Expanded access to finance supported by ADB will allow factories to meet international standards so Bangladesh may benefit from this industry in a responsible way.
Universal Health Coverage: Too Important for Asia to Postpone
Universal health coverage not only protects the majority of the population from experiencing catastrophic financial loss as a result of high out-of-pocket costs, but also promotes better quality of services and greater health equity.
Window of Opportunity Still Open on Climate Action
A set of reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the last of which was released on November 2, 2014, sets the scene for governments to renew their efforts on the issue through ambitious commitments for a comprehensive climate agreement in Paris in December 2015.
It’s Time to Listen to the Scientists
The messages from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are clear—human induced climate change is happening, climate impacts on humans and natural systems will be significant, and dramatic mitigation needs to happen very soon.
Target Social Protection in Tajikistan to Where it is Needed
In ensuring the success of social protection programs, who benefits from public transfers is as important as how much or what type of support is provided. Tajikistan offers a case in point.
New Health Hope for India's Urban Poor
The continued urban boom across Asia and the Pacific offers a host of exciting new opportunities for the region but it also presents huge challenges― not least in the critical field of health.
Universal Health Coverage – The Holy Grail for Equitable Health Outcomes?
Director-General of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, describes Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as ‘the most powerful concept that public health has to offer’.
Why Universal Health Coverage Needs Better Measurements
The issue of universal health coverage (UHC) is a hot topic these days. The WHO director general Margaret Chan calls it: “the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer”.
Social Protection Demystified: Are We Covered? Worker’s Worth in Fast-Changing Asia
In an often harsh and unpredictable world, social protection schemes provide an essential buffer against extreme events like job losses, as well as support during times of ill health or in old age, but in Developing Asia coverage levels are falling well short of the region’s vast needs.