Poverty And The Role Of Social Protection Systems In Africa During The Covid 19 Pandemic

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Revisiting poverty trends and the role of social protection systems in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic

Author : Abay, Kibrom A.
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 42 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Revisiting poverty trends and the role of social protection systems in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic by : Abay, Kibrom A.

Download or read book Revisiting poverty trends and the role of social protection systems in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic written by Abay, Kibrom A. and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2022-10-20 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Quantifying the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on poverty in Africa has been as difficult as predicting the path of the pandemic, mainly due to data limitations. The advent of new data sources, including national accounts and phone survey data, provides an opportunity for a thorough reassessment of the impact of the pandemic and the subsequent expansion of social protection systems on the evolution of poverty in Africa. In this paper, we combine per capita GDP growth from national accounts with data from High-Frequency Phone Surveys for several countries to estimate the net impact of the pandemic on poverty. We find that the pandemic has increased poverty in Africa by 1.5-1.7 percentage points in 2020, relatively smaller than early estimates and projections. We also find that countries affected by Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (FCV) experienced the greatest increases in poverty, about 2.1 percentage points in 2020. Furthermore, we assess and synthesize empirical evidence on the role that social protection systems played in mitigating the adverse impact of the COVID-19 crisis in Africa. We review social protection responses in various African countries, mainly focusing on the impact of these programs and effectiveness of targeting systems. Although the evidence base on the protective role of social protection programs during the pandemic remains scarce, we highlight important findings on the impacts of these programs while also uncovering some vulnerabilities in social protection programming in Africa. We finally draw important lessons related to the delivery, targeting and impact of various social protection programs launched in Africa in response to the pandemic.

Revisiting Poverty Trends and the Role of Social Protection Systems in Africa During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author : Kibrom A. Abay
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (135 download)

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Book Synopsis Revisiting Poverty Trends and the Role of Social Protection Systems in Africa During the COVID-19 Pandemic by : Kibrom A. Abay

Download or read book Revisiting Poverty Trends and the Role of Social Protection Systems in Africa During the COVID-19 Pandemic written by Kibrom A. Abay and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Quantifying the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on poverty in Africa has been as difficult as predicting the path of the pandemic, mainly due to data limitations. The advent of new data sources, including national accounts and phone survey data, provides an opportunity for a thorough reassessment of the impact of the pandemic and the subsequent expansion of social protection systems on the evolution of poverty in Africa. This paper combines per capita gross domestic product growth from national accounts with data from High-Frequency Phone Surveys for several countries to estimate the net impact of the pandemic on poverty. It finds that the pandemic increased poverty in Africa by 1.5-1.7 percentage points in 2020, relatively smaller than early estimates and projections. The paper also finds that countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence experienced the greatest increases in poverty, about 2.1 percentage points in 2020. Furthermore, the paper assesses and synthesizes empirical evidence on the role that social protection systems played in mitigating the adverse impact of the COVID-19 crisis in Africa. It reviews social protection responses in various African countries, mainly focusing on the impact of these programs and effectiveness of targeting systems. Although the evidence base on the protective role of social protection programs during the pandemic remains scarce, the paper highlights important findings on the impacts of these programs while also uncovering some vulnerabilities in social protection programming in Africa. Finally, the paper draws important lessons related to the delivery, targeting, and impact of various social protection programs launched in Africa in response to the pandemic.

Poverty and the role of social protection systems in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic

Author : Abay, Kibrom A.
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 9 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Poverty and the role of social protection systems in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic by : Abay, Kibrom A.

Download or read book Poverty and the role of social protection systems in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic written by Abay, Kibrom A. and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2023-01-03 with total page 9 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Key messages  The pandemic increased poverty in Africa by less than expected, approximately 1.5-1.7 percentage points in 2020.  Countries affected by Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (FCV) experienced the greatest increases in poverty.  An emerging literature establishes that social protection programs in Africa during the pandemic had positive impacts and was generally pro-poor, suggesting a key cushion-ing role played by the expansion of social protection on trends in poverty.  However, delivering shock-responsive social protection in Africa continues to face important challenges related to targeting, coverage, timeliness, and financing.  Early targeting analyses for some countries during the pandemic show that targeting was broadly progressive in some countries and regressive in some other countries.

COVID-19 and food security in Ethiopia: Do social protection programs protect?

Author : Abay, Kibrom A.
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 46 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis COVID-19 and food security in Ethiopia: Do social protection programs protect? by : Abay, Kibrom A.

Download or read book COVID-19 and food security in Ethiopia: Do social protection programs protect? written by Abay, Kibrom A. and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2020-11-11 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We assess the impact of Ethiopia’s flagship social protection program, the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) on the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food and nutrition security of households, mothers, and children. We use both pre-pandemic in-person household survey data and a post-pandemic phone survey. Two thirds of our respondents reported that their incomes had fallen after the pandemic began and almost half reported that their ability to satisfy their food needs had worsened. Employing a household fixed effects difference-in-difference approach, we find that the household food insecurity increased by 11.7 percentage points and the size of the food gap by 0.47 months in the aftermath of the onset of the pandemic. Participation in the PSNP offsets virtually all of this adverse change; the likelihood of becoming food insecure increased by only 2.4 percentage points for PSNP households and the duration of the food gap increased by only 0.13 months. The protective role of PSNP is greater for poorer households and those living in remote areas. Results are robust to definitions of PSNP participation, different estimators and how we account for the non-randomness of mobile phone ownership. PSNP households were less likely to reduce expenditures on health and education by 7.7 percentage points and were less likely to reduce expenditures on agricultural inputs by 13 percentage points. By contrast, mothers’ and children’s diets changed little, despite some changes in the composition of diets with consumption of animal source foods declining significantly.

Adaptive Social Protection

Author : Thomas Bowen
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 1464815755
Total Pages : 155 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

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Book Synopsis Adaptive Social Protection by : Thomas Bowen

Download or read book Adaptive Social Protection written by Thomas Bowen and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2020-06-12 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adaptive social protection (ASP) helps to build the resilience of poor and vulnerable households to the impacts of large, covariate shocks, such as natural disasters, economic crises, pandemics, conflict, and forced displacement. Through the provision of transfers and services directly to these households, ASP supports their capacity to prepare for, cope with, and adapt to the shocks they face—before, during, and after these shocks occur. Over the long term, by supporting these three capacities, ASP can provide a pathway to a more resilient state for households that may otherwise lack the resources to move out of chronically vulnerable situations. Adaptive Social Protection: Building Resilience to Shocks outlines an organizing framework for the design and implementation of ASP, providing insights into the ways in which social protection systems can be made more capable of building household resilience. By way of its four building blocks—programs, information, finance, and institutional arrangements and partnerships—the framework highlights both the elements of existing social protection systems that are the cornerstones for building household resilience, as well as the additional investments that are central to enhancing their ability to generate these outcomes. In this report, the ASP framework and its building blocks have been elaborated primarily in relation to natural disasters and associated climate change. Nevertheless, many of the priorities identified within each building block are also pertinent to the design and implementation of ASP across other types of shocks, providing a foundation for a structured approach to the advancement of this rapidly evolving and complex agenda.

Informal and Formal Social Protection Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa

Author : Melese Getu
Publisher : African Books Collective
ISBN 13 : 9970252410
Total Pages : 318 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (72 download)

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Book Synopsis Informal and Formal Social Protection Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa by : Melese Getu

Download or read book Informal and Formal Social Protection Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa written by Melese Getu and published by African Books Collective. This book was released on 2013 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Addressing several themes in the social protection literature, this book makes an original and important contribution to the rapidly growing body of literature on social protection in sub-Saharan Africa. Some of the themes are relatively neglected or under-researched, while some others are not usually conceptualised as social protection. These themes are organized around the major issues: informal social protection, urban social protection, social protection and physical security, social protection in unstable contexts, climate change, pastoralism, and gender"--Back cover.

Scaling up and sustaining social protection under COVID-19

Author : Fang, Peixun
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 4 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Scaling up and sustaining social protection under COVID-19 by : Fang, Peixun

Download or read book Scaling up and sustaining social protection under COVID-19 written by Fang, Peixun and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2020-10-06 with total page 4 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying lockdowns have had enormous negative economic impacts and tested the resilience of people across all income levels. However, as with most crises, the poor disproportionately face the largest challenge in coping with economic shocks given their low asset base, lack of savings, and the informality of their employment. Recent estimates suggest that as many as 140 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty by the crisis, threatening gains made in the fight against poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition in the last decade (Laborde, Martin, and Vos 2020). Social safety net policies have expanded considerably during the pandemic, helping to prevent vulnerable populations from falling further into poverty and supporting households’ recovery following the pandemic. This brief summarizes some of the patterns that have emerged, using data from the COVID-19 Policy Response (CPR) Portal to better identify how governments are targeting their efforts, which groups they are prioritizing, and whether citizens are satisfied with these interventions.

Economic Report on Africa 2021

Author : Economic Commission for Africa
Publisher : United Nations
ISBN 13 : 9210018265
Total Pages : 150 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis Economic Report on Africa 2021 by : Economic Commission for Africa

Download or read book Economic Report on Africa 2021 written by Economic Commission for Africa and published by United Nations. This book was released on 2022-07-06 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The report applies a poverty-vulnerability-resilience framework to examine the impact of COVID-19 on household well-being in Africa. The report emphasizes the dynamic nature of poverty since some of the poor are not poor all the time, though they are often vulnerable because of exposure to a multitude of risks that can push them below the poverty line and increase chronic poverty. Reducing vulnerability to risks is critical for enhancing well-being and reducing future poverty.

Handbook on Social Protection and Social Development in the Global South

Author : Leila Patel
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1800378424
Total Pages : 587 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (3 download)

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Book Synopsis Handbook on Social Protection and Social Development in the Global South by : Leila Patel

Download or read book Handbook on Social Protection and Social Development in the Global South written by Leila Patel and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2023-09-06 with total page 587 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This cutting-edge Handbook argues for social protection to be situated in a wider system of social welfare and development programmes for low- and middle-income countries. Focusing on the role of citizens and communities in enhancing human development, it explores how welfare systems are unfolding in diverse contexts across the global South.

Handbook on Social Protection Systems

Author : Schüring, Esther
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1839109114
Total Pages : 777 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (391 download)

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Book Synopsis Handbook on Social Protection Systems by : Schüring, Esther

Download or read book Handbook on Social Protection Systems written by Schüring, Esther and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2021-08-27 with total page 777 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This exciting and innovative Handbook provides readers with a comprehensive and globally relevant overview of the instruments, actors and design features of social protection systems, as well as their application and impacts in practice. It is the first book that centres around system building globally, a theme that has gained political importance yet has received relatively little attention in academia.

Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020

Author : World Bank
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 1464816034
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

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Book Synopsis Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020 by : World Bank

Download or read book Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020 written by World Bank and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2020-12-23 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edition of the biennial Poverty and Shared Prosperity report brings sobering news. The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and its associated economic crisis, compounded by the effects of armed conflict and climate change, are reversing hard-won gains in poverty reduction and shared prosperity. The fight to end poverty has suffered its worst setback in decades after more than 20 years of progress. The goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030, already at risk before the pandemic, is now beyond reach in the absence of swift, significant, and sustained action, and the objective of advancing shared prosperity—raising the incomes of the poorest 40 percent in each country—will be much more difficult. Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020: Reversals of Fortune presents new estimates of COVID-19's impacts on global poverty and shared prosperity. Harnessing fresh data from frontline surveys and economic simulations, it shows that pandemic-related job losses and deprivation worldwide are hitting already poor and vulnerable people hard, while also shifting the profile of global poverty to include millions of 'new poor.' Original analysis included in the report shows that the new poor are more urban, better educated, and less likely to work in agriculture than those living in extreme poverty before COVID-19. It also gives new estimates of the impact of conflict and climate change, and how they overlap. These results are important for targeting policies to safeguard lives and livelihoods. It shows how some countries are acting to reverse the crisis, protect those most vulnerable, and promote a resilient recovery. These findings call for urgent action. If the global response fails the world's poorest and most vulnerable people now, the losses they have experienced to date will be minimal compared with what lies ahead. Success over the long term will require much more than stopping COVID-19. As efforts to curb the disease and its economic fallout intensify, the interrupted development agenda in low- and middle-income countries must be put back on track. Recovering from today's reversals of fortune requires tackling the economic crisis unleashed by COVID-19 with a commitment proportional to the crisis itself. In doing so, countries can also plant the seeds for dealing with the long-term development challenges of promoting inclusive growth, capital accumulation, and risk prevention—particularly the risks of conflict and climate change.

Impacts of COVID-19 on food security: Panel data evidence from Nigeria

Author : Amare, Mulubrhan
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 43 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Impacts of COVID-19 on food security: Panel data evidence from Nigeria by : Amare, Mulubrhan

Download or read book Impacts of COVID-19 on food security: Panel data evidence from Nigeria written by Amare, Mulubrhan and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2020-08-11 with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper combines pre-pandemic face-to-face survey data with follow up phone surveys collected in April-May 2020 to quantify the overall and differential impacts of COVID-19 on household food security, labor market participation and local food prices in Nigeria. We exploit spatial variation in exposure to COVID-19 related infections and lockdown measures along with temporal differences in our outcomes of interest using a difference-in-difference approach. We find that those households exposed to higher COVID-19 cases or mobility lockdowns experience a significant increase in measures of food insecurity. Examining possible transmission channels for this effect, we find that COVID-19 significantly reduces labor market participation and increases food prices. We find that impacts differ by economic activities and households. For instance, lockdown measures increased households' experience of food insecurity by 12 percentage points and reduced the probability of participation in non-farm business activities by 13 percentage points. These lockdown measures have smaller impacts on wage-related activities and farming activities. In terms of food security, households relying on non-farm businesses, poorer households, those with school-aged children, and those living in remote and conflicted-affected zones have experienced relatively larger deteriorations in food insecurity. These findings can help inform immediate and medium-term policy responses, including social protection policies aiming at ameliorating the impacts of the pandemic, as well as guide targeting strategies of governments and international donor agencies by identifying the most impacted sub-populations.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Structural Transformation in Africa

Author : Julia Leininger
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (124 download)

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Book Synopsis The COVID-19 Pandemic and Structural Transformation in Africa by : Julia Leininger

Download or read book The COVID-19 Pandemic and Structural Transformation in Africa written by Julia Leininger and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study analyses how strengths and weaknesses of economic, societal, political and environmental structures played out during the Covid-19 crisis in Africa since March 2020. Its main aim is to improve evidence on the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic on African countries and, based on that evidence, identify policy implications and formulate recommendations. It comprises the analysis of (a) direct impacts of the pandemic as well as of policy responses such as lockdowns and their potential determinants; (b) indirect effects of lockdowns and policy responses to the pandemic on economic, social, political and environmental domains in the light of structural strengths and weaknesses of African countries. In general, the study is based on the assumption that economic and other structures determine the magnitude and direction of the pandemic's impact on the short and long run. Its added value is the thematic comprehensiveness and the comparative analysis of country clusters. Amongst many other findings, the analysis shows the important role of social cohesion for coping with the pandemic and for sustainable development on the longer run. This implies the need for (a) material and immaterial investments in good and trustful relationships within societies and between society and the state; (b) incentives for increasing cooperation of individuals for a common good need to be at the core of future development strategies. It identifies a trias of political priorities, which are all equally important and relate to each other. They contain (a) inclusive and green economic development that must be linked to (b) the establishment and improvement of universal social systems (health, education, social protection in case of poverty, old age and unemployment) as well as (c) a redesign of political institutions that are capable and inclusive to collect revenues and provide public goods. (d) None of these policy priorities will be effective on the long run without saving ecosystems.

2021 Global food policy report: Transforming food systems after COVID-19: Synopsis

Author : International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
ISBN 13 : 0896294013
Total Pages : 8 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (962 download)

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Book Synopsis 2021 Global food policy report: Transforming food systems after COVID-19: Synopsis by : International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Download or read book 2021 Global food policy report: Transforming food systems after COVID-19: Synopsis written by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2021-04-13 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The coronavirus pandemic has upended local, national, and global food systems, and put the Sustainable Development Goals further out of reach. But lessons from the world’s response to the pandemic can help address future shocks and contribute to food system change. In the 2021 Global Food Policy Report, IFPRI researchers and other food policy experts explore the impacts of the pandemic and government policy responses, particularly for the poor and disadvantaged, and consider what this means for transforming our food systems to be healthy, resilient, efficient, sustainable, and inclusive. Chapters in the report look at balancing health and economic policies, promoting healthy diets and nutrition, strengthening social protection policies and inclusion, integrating natural resource protection into food sector policies, and enhancing the contribution of the private sector. Regional sections look at the diverse experiences around the world, and a special section on finance looks at innovative ways of funding food system transformation. Critical questions addressed include: - Who felt the greatest impact from falling incomes and food system disruptions caused by the pandemic? - How can countries find an effective balance among health, economic, and social policies in the face of crisis? - How did lockdowns affect diet quality and quantity in rural and urban areas? - Do national social protection systems such as cash transfers have the capacity to protect poor and vulnerable groups in a global crisis? - Can better integration of agricultural and ecosystem polices help prevent the next pandemic? - How did companies accelerate ongoing trends in digitalization and integration to keep food supply chains moving? - What different challenges did the pandemic spark in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and how did these regions respond?

Labor Supply Responses to Large Social Transfers

Author : Cally Ardington
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 56 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Labor Supply Responses to Large Social Transfers by : Cally Ardington

Download or read book Labor Supply Responses to Large Social Transfers written by Cally Ardington and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focuses on whether and to what extent the pension, the stable source of income leads to change in the labour force attachment of the prime-aged adults in households containing pensioners.

COVID-19 prevention measures in Ethiopia: Current realities and prospects

Author : Baye, Kaleab
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis COVID-19 prevention measures in Ethiopia: Current realities and prospects by : Baye, Kaleab

Download or read book COVID-19 prevention measures in Ethiopia: Current realities and prospects written by Baye, Kaleab and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2020-05-12 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Immediately after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Ethiopia in March 2020, the Government of Ethiopia took several public health measures to prevent increased levels of infection These included closing all schools and restricting large gatherings and movements of people. Hand-washing and social distancing were the main prevention measures that government has communicated to the general public through various media platforms. Using the latest round of the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey, COVID-19 relevant indicators related to household access to communication platforms; access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); and characteristics of the home environment were assessed. The analysis shows that a sizeable proportion of the rural population does not have access to the media platforms used to publicize COVID-19 prevention measures. Moreover, without aggressive interventions, current levels of access to water and soap are suboptimal to adopt the hand-washing recommendations, particularly in rural areas. The low proportion of households with electricity, refrigeration, or internet connection and the relatively high prevalence of partner violence suggest that implementing the stay and work from home measures will be challenging. Public health measures that slow down the transmission of the virus should be continued and efforts to prevent transmission to rural areas should be prioritized. Communication platforms and messaging will need to be adapted to different local realities to make any COVID-19 containment recommendations operational. WASH-related support should be ramped-up, and addressing barriers to staying at home, such as the risk of partner violence, should be considered. The efforts needed to end the current pandemic in Ethiopia, as well as similar pandemics in the future, illuminates the serious challenges related to WASH and to the inequalities between rural and urban areas that need urgent attention.

Realizing the Full Potential of Social Safety Nets in Africa

Author : Kathleen Beegle
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 1464811660
Total Pages : 418 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

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Book Synopsis Realizing the Full Potential of Social Safety Nets in Africa by : Kathleen Beegle

Download or read book Realizing the Full Potential of Social Safety Nets in Africa written by Kathleen Beegle and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2018-07-02 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Poverty remains a pervasive and complex phenomenon in Sub-Saharan Africa. Part of the agenda in recent years to tackle poverty in Africa has been the launching of social safety nets programs. All countries have now deployed safety net interventions as part of their core development programs. The number of programs has skyrocketed since the mid-2000s though many programs remain limited in size. This shift in social policy reflects the progressive evolution in the understanding of the role that social safety nets can play in the fight against poverty and vulnerability, and more generally in the human capital and growth agenda. Evidence on their impacts on equity, resilience, and opportunity is growing, and makes a foundational case for investments in safety nets as a major component of national development plans. For this potential to be realized, however, safety net programs need to be significantly scaled-up. Such scaling up will involve a series of technical considerations to identify the parameters, tools, and processes that can deliver maximum benefits to the poor and vulnerable. However, in addition to technical considerations, and at least as importantly, this report argues that a series of decisive shifts need to occur in three other critical spheres: political, institutional, and fiscal. First, the political processes that shape the extent and nature of social policy need to be recognized, by stimulating political appetite for safety nets, choosing politically smart parameters, and harnessing the political impacts of safety nets to promote their sustainability. Second, the anchoring of safety net programs in institutional arrangements †“ related to the overarching policy framework for safety nets, the functions of policy and coordination, as well as program management and implementation †“ is particularly important as programs expand and are increasingly implemented through national channels. And third, in most countries, the level and predictability of resources devoted to the sector needs to increase for safety nets to reach the desired scale, through increased efficiency, increased volumes and new sources of financing, and greater ability to effectively respond to shocks. This report highlights the implications which political, institutional, and fiscal aspects have for the choice and design of programs. Fundamentally, it argues that these considerations are critical to ensure the successful scaling-up of social safety nets in Africa, and that ignoring them could lead to technically-sound, but practically impossible, choices and designs.