Rosa, a 44-year-old woman who lives in Bogotá, has a problem when it comes to getting her 9-year-old girl, Alicia[1], vaccinated with the hugely effective Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine. She's heard of the vaccine, but she hasn't gotten it for Alicia because her pediatrician has not yet mentioned it in any of the girl’s check-ups and she's not sure what the government’s … [Read more...] about Increasing HPV Vaccination Rates in Latin America: A Guide for Policymakers
Carbon Taxes: A Large Impact with Small Negative Economic Effects
As greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reach alarming levels, countries face increasing pressure to adopt more aggressive environmental policies. However, concerns regarding their economic effects and their impacts on different groups of people (distributional effects) can hinder their adoption. Reducing emissions, after all, means reallocating resources away from high-carbon … [Read more...] about Carbon Taxes: A Large Impact with Small Negative Economic Effects
Can Cash Transfers to Non-Poor Households Prevent Poverty?
Over the past five years, social protection has expanded dramatically around the world. In 2020, one in six people globally received government transfers. This expansion in coverage, particularly in upper- and middle-income countries, has produced a new set of beneficiaries: vulnerable, non-poor households. Scaling up the coverage of social protection programs has the … [Read more...] about Can Cash Transfers to Non-Poor Households Prevent Poverty?
Dealing with Debt
The Rise in Debt Total debt in Latin America and the Caribbean has risen to 5.8 trillion US dollars from under 3 trillion in 2008, or to 117% from around 60% of GDP. Total debt in the five largest economies is around 140% of GDP. While this is lower than in many advanced economies, emerging economies face higher interest rates, greater risks and a larger drag on growth from … [Read more...] about Dealing with Debt
Women and Urban Mobility: An Unfinished Agenda
Many factors lie behind observed gender gaps in labor market outcomes in Latin American and the Caribbean. But one remains largely invisible: transport and urban mobility. Women in the region have greater childcare responsibilities and do more unpaid work at home than their male partners. As a study we recently conducted in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires reveals, they … [Read more...] about Women and Urban Mobility: An Unfinished Agenda