Miscellaneous Knowledge Notes
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Publication Sub-national Differences in Human Capital in the CEMAC Region(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-22) World BankCountries in the CEMAC region could strengthen their human capital by investing more in education, health and social assistance. A human capital index of between 0.27 and 0.46 suggests that residents of CEMAC countries achieve between a quarter and a half of their potential. In addition, sub-national analysis reveals significant disparities within the countries. Gaps between urban and rural areas, as well as other regional divergences, generate inequalities that can be mitigated by more strategic and efficient spending. This report presents heat maps for different dimensions of human capital available for the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Chad and the Republic of Congo. The analysis could not for Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, in the absence of recent sub-national data.Publication Convergence in the Sahel: How to Link Humanitarian Cash Assistance and National Social Protection Systems?(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-04-18) Saidi, Mira; Santamaria Ruiz, ClaudiaConvergence is the merging or coming together of separate elements. In the realm of social protection, this translates into the effective coordination and alignment of different humanitarian and development initiatives toward a shared national vision. Convergence between humanitarian operations and national social protection systems has gained momentum in the last few years, as reflected in the humanitarian-development nexus. In the Sahel, a growing overlap between humanitarian activities and government interventions is emerging, particularly with the advent of adaptive social protection. Humanitarian assistance tends to operate in emergencies and volatile contexts with short-term horizons. In contrast, national social protection systems, including regular social safety nets, typically are longer term, more predictable, and focus on issues such as structural poverty rather than emergencies. However, both types of interventions share a broad goal to protect the poorest and most vulnerable and to promote their resilience to future shocks. Hence opportunities to better connect humanitarian assistance to the national social protection system do exist, particularly in the context of protracted crises.Publication Protecting Human Capital from the Impact of Early Life Shocks : Key Interventions for Lower-Middle-Income Countries(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-07-06) Lufumpa, Nakawala; Hilger, Anne; Ng, Odyssia; De la Brière, Bénédicte LeroyThis policy note presents strong evidence of the impacts of early childhood exposure to shocks on later life human capital outcomes in lower-middle-income countries, particularly in the Sahel region. It recommends key, evidence-based social protection interventions to mitigate these impacts and protect human capital as follows : cash transfers to improve child nutritional outcomes, particularly when combined with behavior change communication on water, sanitation and hygiene and hygiene practices; conditional cash transfers to increase educational outcomes, especially when monitored and reinforced; contributory schemes to mitigate the impact of shocks on asset loss and household expenditure, particularly health, livestock, and climate insurance schemes; food distribution interventions to mitigate the impact of shocks on nutritional and educational outcomes, particularly for children under–five, which is a critical period for growth and development; behavioral interventions to positively influence health and educational behavior and spending, especially nutrition education, academic nudges, and maternal psychotherapy interventions; and the success of these interventions requires context- and population-appropriate program design and implementation to maximize their effects on protecting human capital.