Asian Development Blog

The battle against COVID-19 is being fought on laptops, tablets and phones, as well as in hospitals and clinics. Photo: Pierre Bamin

Digital Innovators Have Joined the Fight Against COVID-19

Governments and private companies are working together to find innovative digital solutions to the problems presented by the COVID-19 crisis.

Martina Merten, Susann Roth

Across Asia, governments are setting up mass testing facilities to track COVID-19 infections. Photo: ADB

Rebooting the Economy: What Countries Need to Know About COVID-19 Testing as They Relax Restrictions

Experts agree that safely restarting economies hinges on widespread COVID-19 testing. But what does that mean across countries with varying testing capacities?

Patrick L. Osewe

With post-pandemic re-opening of economies, Asia’s infrastructure projects are getting back on track. Photo: Yancy Min.

Quality Must Prevail in Post-Pandemic Infrastructure Development

As Asia and the Pacific comes out of the crisis with significantly larger public debts, their infrastructure investments will need to be efficient, affordable, and sustainable.

Bruno Carrasco, Hanif Rahemtulla

The financial crisis caused by the pandemic could delay or halt construction projects across Asia. Photo: Glenn Hansen

Another COVID-19 Challenge: Saving Asia’s Crucial Infrastructure Deals

The public-private partnerships used to finance roads, ports, hospitals and dozens of other infrastructure projects could be affected by the pandemic-induced financial crisis. Here’s how to avoid that.

Hanif Rahemtulla, Srinivas Sampath, Colin Gin

Asia’s trade and supply chain ecosystem needs to up its digital game. Photo: Austin Distel

The Global Economy Will Emerge Stronger if COVID-19 Drives Digitization

The health crisis should drive us to aggressively digitize global trade and supply chains so we can make the economic recovery stronger and the economy more robust.

Steven Beck

The LGBTI community faces unique challenges during the pandemic. Photo: Jasmin Sessler

The Pandemic Has Highlighted the Development Challenges of the LGBTI Community

Development institutions are beginning to address the issues of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons.

Oliver Chapman

For Asia to rebound, support for small and micro enterprises is critical. Photo: Lisheng Chang

Five Ways Banks Can Help Asia’s Smallest Businesses Survive COVID-19

The road to recovery post-COVID-19 is full of risks for Asia’s banks. They need to innovate and expand their services to help rebuild the small businesses that provide a lifeline to Asia’s poor.

Susan Olsen

Women and girls face challenges unique to their gender during the pandemic. Photo: ADB

Helping Women and Girls Survive COVID-19 and Its Aftermath

A gender-sensitive response is crucial to this global health emergency.

Malika Shagazatova

“Greening” Asia’s cities will make them more resilient to future pandemics. Photo: Vitalijs Barilo

Build Green to Help Fend Off the Next Pandemic

Investments in climate-resilient infrastructure should be the centerpiece of the billions of dollars in economic stimulus being used to rebuild Asia’s economies.

Anouj Mehta, Naeeda Crishna Morgado