[[tweetable]]Economic progress in East Asia and Pacific (EAP) has greatly contributed to the global reduction of extreme poverty. The more prosperous countries in the region – China, Thailand, and…

The World Bank has joined the fight to kick TB out of Papua New Guinea. (World Bank / Tom Perry) My last surviving grandparent, my Nanna, passed away peacefully late last year. And the end of a…

East Asia Pacific’s (EAP) strong economic performance over the past few decades has significantly benefited and empowered women in the region, bringing better health and education and greater…

From Canada to Kenya, nearly every country struggles to provide housing for all its residents. It’s a goal that has become a moving target: Migration – both rural-to-urban and cross-border – is…

In most rural communities in Papua New Guinea (PNG), a daily routine for women and girls involves collecting clean drinking water for their families. Whether it means a strenuous walk down a steep…

Among the 29 countries and economies of the East Asia and Pacific region, one finds some of the world’s most successful education systems. Seven out of the top 10 highest average scorers on…

Construction of a sky train in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: Seksan Pipattanatikanunt/World Bank In the past, procurement (purchasing) was not considered to be a specialist function but one of the…

An elementary student with an enumerator in Wewak, Papua New Guinea. (Photo: Kabira Namit / World Bank) So, you are about to start field research in education. Whether you are planning a…

The 2018 World Development Report (WDR), Learning to Realize Education’s Promise, launched this week.  While it draws on research and collective experience—both from within and outside the World…

Data shows that huge swaths of populations in developing countries are not learning to read. Scaling up early reading interventions will be a first step toward addressing these high illiteracy…