Workshop organized by WBI Social Protection & Risk Management Program
Lahore, Pakistan, March, 6-8, 2007
South Asia, home to around 40 percent of the world’s poor, has become one of the fastest growing regions of the world, with poverty declining in many parts of the sub-continent. Strong economic growth and sustained poverty reduction have in turn led to improvements in human development. Progress on this front, however, has been uneven and important challenges remain in terms of education, health and nutrition indicators, especially among the poor and vulnerable.
Poor human development outcomes are the result of both supply and demand-side constraints. Many children in the region, particularly girls, do not have access to primary and secondary schools, while the quality of education remains an issue for those in school. Limited coverage and varying service quality are also of concern in the health sector. In addition many poor families lack the resources to send their children to school or to ensure that all family members receive adequate health care when needed, with resources also being compromised by adverse shocks to income. The lack of information about the (long-term) benefits of education and good health may also act as deterrents to human capital investments among the poor and vulnerable. Read more >>
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