Miscellaneous Knowledge Notes

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Pakistan Health Financing System Assessment: Providing an Empirical Foundation for National and Sub-National Health Financing Strategy Dialogues - Policy Brief
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-01-13) World Bank
Accelerated progress towards and achievement of universal health coverage (UHC) has become a central goal of the Government of Pakistan’s (GoP) policy agenda in health in recent years. Both at the center and in the provinces, Pakistan’s domestic governments have now consistently reiterated, through the National Health Vision 2016–2025 and other essential agenda setting documents, their joint commitments to making UHC and primary care access a priority across the country. The federal and provincial governments have initiated critical UHC and primary health care (PHC) related interventions. First, Pakistan has become an early adopter of the Disease Control Priority 3 (DCP3) framework and, in collaboration with the DCP3 Secretariat and the World Health Organization (WHO), has begun implementing for the first time a prioritized Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS). Another major program led by the federal government and now adopted by the provincial governments is the social health protection initiative, the Sehat Sahulat Program (SSP). The program, a tax-financed scheme, provides cash-free coverage to inpatient hospital services at empaneled public and private hospitals for eligible low-income populations (households earning less than US2 dollar per day). The EPHS and the public health insurance scheme are two promising developments that together hold the potential to expand health coverage, grow existing health finance resource pools, and improve efficiency of public health expenditures. Each would in turn help achieve broader objectives in a health financing system that has to date produced concerningly lagging health and human development outcomes. However, faced with resource needs significantly higher than current health expenditures, and a particularly turbulent near-term macro-fiscal environment, the GoP’s ability to sustainably fund crucial UHC priorities has become decidedly uncertain.
Thailand Monthly Economic Monitor, 30 July 2024
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-07-31) World Bank
Recent indicators of economic activity point to a gradual recovery, supported by improvement in manufacturing production, goods exports, and tourism. The number of tourist arrivals expanded, nearing pre-pandemic levels. However, private consumption moderated. Growth is projected to accelerate from 1.9 percent in 2023 to 2.4 percent in 2024. The Bank of Thailand has maintained a neutral policy rate and anticipates inflation to return to its target by Q4 2024. The banking sector remained stable with adequate buffers, though vulnerabilities in household debt and small and medium enterprise (SME) non-performing loans (NPLs) persist. The government has approved a flagship Digital Wallet program, expected to boost gross domestic product (GDP) in the short term and rolled out a soft loan program to support SMEs. The Thai baht depreciated due to delays in the Fed’s easing cycle and ongoing concerns about the Thai economy.
Missing School - The Effect of Crises on Students and Teachers in Pakistan
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-06-03) Isa, Sana; D'Angelo, Sophia; Barón, Juan D.
Pakistani children have faced nationwide and severe disruptions to their schooling over the past several years, first due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then the 2022 floods. Given the country’s vulnerability to climate change, these disruptions are likely to increase. This note explores the government’s response to COVID-19 and school closures in Pakistan; it shows how data disaggregated by gender, household location, and other variables can inform a more effective and inclusive education response and build the education system’s resilience to future emergencies.
Health Information Systems Assessment for Health Systems Strengthening in Bangladesh: Policy Brief
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-04-23) Asangansi, Ime; Mohammed-Roberts, Rianna; Hannan, Maksudul; Hulse, Matt; Nasim, Asib
Over the last two decades, Bangladesh has made significant progress in improving its routine health information systems (HIS). The goal of the Bangladesh HIS is to provide accurate and timely health data required for effective decision making. The HIS thus plays a crucial role in strategic planning and is an essential component of sound program development, implementation, and monitoring, upon which improved health outcomes depend. Indeed, Bangladesh has recorded notable progress across a range of health outcomes, especially the maternal and child health outcomes over the last two decades. However, the COVID-19 pandemic can derail progress. Decades of progress in developing the health system as well as the HIS can potentially be affected. Generating adequate evidence from a properly functioning HIS is important in guiding the country’s continuous efforts to mitigate against adverse effects and sustaining progress. In this context, understanding the impact of COVID-19 on essential health and nutrition services (EHNS) including the data on key indicators at the national and sub-national levels (regional and district-wise) is a prerequisite for evidence-based policy making. Against this backdrop, an HIS assessment was commissioned with the primary objective of supporting the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) in strengthening the quality of its routinely reported administrative data. Specifically, the assessment is focused on: (a) a review of the existing HIS at the two service delivery channels of the MOHFW, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP); and (b) development of a roadmap for HIS strengthening considering long term sustainability and a culture of information use as major goals.
Nepal Crisis Preparedness Gap Analysis: Policy Brief
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-03-13) World Bank
Crisis preparedness is cral to preventing shocks from becoming crises. Investments in ex ante preparedness are especially relevant in countries like Nepal that face high levels of exposure and vulnerability to a range of risks. In seeking to identify opportunities to strengthen the Government of Nepal’s (GoN’s) capacity to prepare for crisis events in an effective and timely manner, this Technical Annex presents findings from the application of the Crisis Preparedness Gap Analysis (CPGA) diagnostic in the country. It provides details on findings and entry points across the five componnts of crisis preparedness. For a summary, please refer to the accompanying CPGA Nepal Briefing Note. Following a brief description of the CPGA methodology, the Technical Annex presents a summary of findings from each CPGA component alongside identification of entry points and opportunities to strengthen crisis preparedness in the country. To provide a holistic assessment of preparedness, the CPGA focuses on five core components of crisis preparedness. These are (i) Legal and Institutional Foundations, (ii) Understanding and Monitoring Risks, (iii) Financial Preparedness, (iv) Primary Response, and (v) Social and Livelihood Support.
Thailand Monthly Economic Monitor, February 2024
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-03-11) World Bank
Thailand's economic recovery lagged further behind ASEAN peers as growth was a disappointing 1.7 percent in the fourth quarter and resulted in slower annual growth of 1.9 percent in 2023. Growth was hampered by weak external sector and delayed budget approval. In December, economic activity softened due to weak manufacturing, investment, and goods export. Inflation remained negative for the third consecutive month due to falling energy and food prices as well as energy subsidies. In this context, the Bank of Thailand held its policy rate. The fiscal deficit decreased due to the delayed budget approval. In January, the Thai baht remained stable against major trading partners, despite significant net foreign portfolio outflows.
Philippines Monthly Economic Developments, January 2024
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-02-13) World Bank
The economy expanded by 5.6 percent year-on-year in Q4 2023 as robust private consumption continued to fuel growth, while the recovery of tourism buoyed the expansion of services. The cumulative fiscal deficit declined in November 2023, while low external demand dampened goods exports, which weighed on manufacturing output growth. The unemployment rate fell to a 15-year low in November, supported by strong domestic demand during the holidays, yet job quality remains a concern.
Understanding Socioeconomic Factors in Climate Change Awareness and Action
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-12-05) Asad, Saher; Dahlin, Lauren N.; Barón, Juan D.
Climate change has profoundly affected Pakistan, manifesting in altered weather patterns and devastating floods. According to projections, Pakistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to decrease by a minimum of 18 to 20 percent by 2050 due to severe climate-related occurrences, environmental deterioration, and air contamination. This policy note presents findings from a phone survey that explores the socio-economic factors influencing the level of concern and likelihood of action regarding climate change.
GeneXpert Machines in Vietnam: Applying an Optimization Model to Improve Use of Diagnostic Equipment to Fight Infectious Diseases
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2023-08-23) Bathanti, Jacob; Salazar, Elizabeth
Many governments struggle with how to efficiently, effectively, and equitably allocate medical supplies and equipment. Medical supplies and equipment can be expensive and prone to mismatches in use, context, and the level of expertise needed to operate them. Optimizing allocation is particularly important considering resource scarcity in many developing countries. Therefore, generating evidence to inform efficient, effective, and equitable allocation of medical supplies and equipment to maximize the benefits of scarce and often in-demand resources is crucial for improving medical care around the world. This case study examines how the World Bank financed Investing and Innovating for Grassroots Health Service Delivery project used optimization analysis to determine the best allocation of TB diagnosis machines. Identifying and combining relevant datasets and applying these within a well-defined algorithm, with the agreement of key stakeholders, enabled the national and provincial governments of Vietnam to determine where machines could be placed for maximum impact to enable and promote efficient use of expensive medical equipment.
Thailand Monthly Economic Monitor, July 2023
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-07-24) World Bank
The economy maintained moderate expansion, driven by private consumption and tourism. Declining inflation alleviated pressure on living costs and supported private consumption. However, goods exports as well as manufacturing production and investment contracted due to weak external demand. Public debt remained stable;a decrease in budget deficit financing was offset by increased borrowing to support the State Oil Fund. In June, the Thai baht depreciated compared to major ASEAN currencies, primarily due to an all-year high current account deficit.