Universal health coverage and health resilience must advance equality and inclusion and meet the needs of all people.

Lucas de Toca, Ronald Upenyu Mutasa |

The World Bank leveraged the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Trust Fund to help the Lao PDR improve healthcare waste and wastewater management through the COVID-19 Emergency Response…

Rieko Kubota, Emiko Masaki, Mahoko Kamatsuchi, Pham Ngoc Bao |

COVID-19 has been a global catastrophe killing millions, damaging economies, and impairing human development. Yet, the pandemic has also been a catalyst for much needed health system reform,…

Aparnaa Somanathan, Trina Haque, Feng Zhao |

Research and surveys consistently show that firms do not rank tax incentives as the primary reason for choosing where to invest. Instead, political and macroeconomic stability, the legal…

Viet Anh Nguyen, Hassan Zaman |

Road safety in Laos is a major public health issue causing economic losses of around 5% of GDP, with challenges including unsafe road design, weak compliance with traffic rules, and limited…

Sombath Southivong |

A World Bank study of 1,900 Lao citizens found 1/3 burn waste at home, while 2/3 use waste-collection, recycle or reuse. A 3rd have no access to waste-collection services. Improved access to waste…

Ailin Tomio, Maurice Andres Rawlins, Kaysone Vongthavilay, Daniel Alejandro Pinzón Hernández , Renos Vakis |

The Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens the uneven recovery of East Asia and Pacific. The invasion comes on top of the economic distress caused by the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, the financial…

Aaditya Mattoo, Ekaterine T. Vashakmadze, Ergys Islamaj |

In a changing climate—with more frequent, longer lasting, or extreme wind, rain, snow, cold, and heat—how can urban planning and design influence our mobility choices? And how can city governments…

Sandrine Boukerche |

A new World Bank report, Environmental Challenges for Green Growth and Poverty Reduction: A Country Environmental Analysis for the Lao PDR analyzes the environmental challenges most closely linked…

Ernesto Sanchez-Triana |

The world is facing both a health and an economic crisis due to COVID-19. This threatens progress towards universal health coverage – a policy commitment of the United Nations’ Sustainable…

Wayne Irava, Ajay Tandon |