“I didn’t go to the health center because it took a long time, and on top of that they treated me badly,” recounted a Quechua woman in the town of Oruro, Bolivia. “We have our own customs for childbirth”. She is not alone in those views. According to a recent national survey, the main reason why women avoid prenatal care is distrust of health personnel (26 percent). … [Read more...] about The Juana Azurduy Voucher Program: health services for mothers and their children
Public policies
Turning trash into light – Liter of light
By Carmen Fernández-Sánchez The simple act of filling recycled plastic bottles with water and chlorine has allowed light to enter millions of previously unlit homes around the globe. What’s more, this innovation has saved low-income families up to 40% on electricity bills. No-one could have told Alfredo Moser, a Brazilian mechanic, that his invention would spread … [Read more...] about Turning trash into light – Liter of light
Can animal waste be harnessed to promote development?
By Horacio Aguirre-Villegas. Using bio-gas to produce energy can reduce GHG emissions and increase agricultural productivity. But it also can vastly improve the quality of life for people living in poor, rural communities by providing them with electricity and cooking fuel, saving them from having to walk long distances to collect firewood. The Mendez family lives in … [Read more...] about Can animal waste be harnessed to promote development?
Cows and kilowatts: opportunities for development
by Jesús Tejeda A program in Ecuador is a classic example of how electrification in isolated rural and urban areas can raise living standards and boost economic growth. Each morning at 4 a.m. as the cocks begin to crow, women in the Prado communities of Ecuador's Pichincha province put on their woolen pants, wrap-around shawls, and bowler hats, and head into the hilly … [Read more...] about Cows and kilowatts: opportunities for development
12 recommendations on government reform
The idea that some policy “works well” is grounded on three assumptions. First, it assumes that the evidence is rigorous in the sense that causality can be established and policy implementation leads to the expected outcome. Second, that if “it” works, it is the most cost effective proposition. The third assumption is that effectiveness is not weakened by the delivery … [Read more...] about 12 recommendations on government reform