An Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) study projects that by 2050, more than one in five individuals in The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago will have a disability. The increase of 5.9 percentage points from the 2020 projection is significant. Given the fast-aging population, this demographic shift highlights the need for urgent … [Read more...] about Disability in the Caribbean: What We Know and How to Promote Inclusion
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Resilient Safety Nets: Future-Proofing Retirement Incomes in the Caribbean
Albeit at different rates, Caribbean countries have seen their populations gradually age over time. This is the result of several factors including falling fertility rates, emigration of its working population and increasing life expectancies. Even though population aging is the result of important social achievements, such as the increase in life expectancy, it … [Read more...] about Resilient Safety Nets: Future-Proofing Retirement Incomes in the Caribbean
Connecting the Caribbean to the Pan-American Highway for Digital Health
Recently, seven Caribbean countries—Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago—met in Kingston, Jamaica, for Caribbean Connect: Building the Pan-American Highway for Digital Health. Hosted by the IDB and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), this sub-regional meeting aimed to advance the Caribbean vision for digital health … [Read more...] about Connecting the Caribbean to the Pan-American Highway for Digital Health
Healing Hearts and Shaping Futures: IDB Lab’s HYPE project journey in Suriname
May marked Mental Health Awareness Month, a crucial period for spotlighting mental health issues and combating associated stigmas. Recognizing that mental health is as vital as physical well-being is paramount. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, it threw education systems around the world into chaos. In Suriname, the closure of schools amplified existing challenges, leaving … [Read more...] about Healing Hearts and Shaping Futures: IDB Lab’s HYPE project journey in Suriname
Steadying the Ship: Small Island Developing States and Fiscal Sustainability
There is growing concern about the debt sustainability of Caribbean countries, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, which led to sharply increased deficits. Recent research, as summarized in the latest edition of the IDB’s Caribbean Economics Quarterly (Rosenblatt, Clayton, & Mooney December 2023), suggests that although debt levels in the Caribbean may be weakly … [Read more...] about Steadying the Ship: Small Island Developing States and Fiscal Sustainability