World Bank Group2016-01-112016-01-112015-07-06https://hdl.handle.net/10986/23607Panama has experienced impressive and significant economic growth, emerging as one of the better performers in Central America in recent years and one of the fastest growing economies worldwide. From 2003 to 2013, Panama has averaged an annual GDP growth rate of approximately 7 percent, surpassing the average GDP growth in Central America. It has also emerged as one of the fastest growing economies worldwide. Even during the economic crisis of 2008-2009, its economy continued to grow albeit at a lower rate. This note recommends that Panama prioritize three main aspects: a) improving the effectiveness of social public spending by further enhancing the pro-poor and pro-indigenous features of targeting mechanisms; b) reducing inefficiencies in the various sectors, for example, by improving the coordination between the Ministries of Education, Health, Social Development, and CSS to minimize duplication of efforts and resources; and c) strengthening planning, budgeting, and information tools and systems, legislation, and institutions to support implementation and track progress toward Government goals.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOSANITATIONSOCIAL INFORMATIONRISKSWORKFORCEECONOMIC GROWTHPEOPLEVACCINATIONOLD AGEINFORMATION SYSTEMHUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUSQUALITY OF HEALTH CAREPUBLIC EDUCATIONPREVENTIONLAWSMORBIDITYREDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITYNEEDS ASSESSMENTLEVELS OF EDUCATIONRESOURCE ALLOCATIONLABOR FORCEPOPULATION GROUPSHEALTH RESEARCHTEENPRENATAL CAREHEALTH CAREHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENTHEALTHDROPOUTHEALTH WORKERSDEVELOPMENT GOALSHYPERTENSIONSOCIAL PROGRAMSENVIRONMENTAL HEALTHRURAL POPULATIONVULNERABILITYINFORMATION SYSTEMSHEALTH FACILITIESHOSPITALPUBLIC HEALTHMATERNAL MORTALITYHEALTH SECTORDISABILITIESBEHAVIORDIABETESLABOR MARKETUNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATIONRURAL POPULATIONSMINISTRY OF HEALTHDISEASESMILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALQUALITY OF EDUCATIONTRAININGIMMUNIZATIONPATIENTSMEASLES IMMUNIZATIONSOCIAL EXCLUSIONHEALTH INDICATORSINCOME INEQUALITYAGGRESSIVEAGINGDEMOGRAPHIC PROJECTIONSSECONDARY SCHOOLNURSESMIGRATIONHEALTH CARE SERVICESVULNERABLE POPULATIONSTETANUSACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICESMEDICAL CAREHOUSEHOLD SURVEYSSERVICE PROVISIONMORTALITY RATEELDERLY POPULATIONSOCIAL SECURITYTUBERCULOSISUNIVERSITY EDUCATIONSCREENINGSERVICE DELIVERYSOCIAL EXPENDITURESSOCIAL DEVELOPMENTGROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCTMORTALITYHEALTH PROMOTIONRISK GROUPSELDERLYPROGRESSPRIMARY SCHOOLSPEOPLE WITH DISABILITIESUNEMPLOYMENTHEALTH REGULATIONSHUMAN CAPITALTEENAGE PREGNANCYDIPHTHERIAINVESTMENT IN EDUCATIONFOOD SECURITYWORKERSWHOOPING COUGHSOCIAL SECTORPOLICIESAGEDHIVSURVEILLANCESCHOOL ATTENDANCEIMMUNODEFICIENCYPENSIONSPUBLIC HEALTH EXPENDITUREMEDICAL SPECIALISTSSOCIAL POLICYPURCHASING POWERMINISTRY OF EDUCATIONPARENTINGHEALTH OUTCOMESINDIGENOUS PEOPLEPOPULATION DENSITYURBAN AREASMALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDRENEARLY CHILDHOODMEDICAL PERSONNELDECISION MAKINGJOB CREATIONMEASUREMENTNUTRITIONMEASLESPOPULATIONSPARADIGM SHIFTADOLESCENTSPOLICYPRIMARY HEALTH CAREWORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONHEALTH POLICIESDEMOGRAPHIC TRENDSINTERNETCHILD MORTALITYTERTIARY LEVELCHILD MORTALITY RATESHEALTH SYSTEMSOCIAL SECTORSHEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALSWEIGHTPHYSICIANSCOMMUNICABLE DISEASESPREGNANT WOMENTEACHER RATIOMATERNAL HEALTHCARDIOVASCULAR DISEASESCHILDRENLEVEL OF EDUCATIONCLINICSHEALTH PROVIDERSRURAL AREASINDIGENOUS PEOPLESDISABILITYYOUNG PEOPLENATIONAL COUNCILTEEN PREGNANCYPOPULATIONHOSPITAL BEDSSTUDENTSPURCHASING POWER PARITYINSTITUTIONALIZATIONLIVING CONDITIONSMATERNAL MORTALITY RATESTRATEGYPRIMARY EDUCATIONEPIDEMIOLOGYREGISTRATIONFAMILIESWOMENMEDICINESCHILD MORTALITY RATEHOSPITALSLABOR MARKETSMATERNAL MORTALITY RATESMILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALSSECONDARY EDUCATIONTERTIARY EDUCATIONHEALTH SERVICESFIGHT AGAINST POVERTYIMPLEMENTATIONPREGNANCYAT RISK GROUPSHUMAN DEVELOPMENTSANITATION FACILITIESReportWorld Bank10.1596/23607