The decision to give birth in one's village rather than a health facility is often a fatal one for women in Latin America. Too many women die in the time immediately before and after delivery from hemorrhages, hypertension and sepsis, conditions easily treated in a modern health facility. Their babies often die with them or in the week following. Yet, culture and poverty can … [Read more...] about Stepping in to Save Women’s and Babies’ Lives
Coordination: Key to the Success of Public Policies
One of the most complicated areas of the political economy of public policy in Latin America is related to the difficulties of coordination. While many policies can be carried out by a ministry or public agency without the need to coordinate with other ministries and agencies, the success of policies in other cases depends on cooperation and coordination. And, unfortunately, … [Read more...] about Coordination: Key to the Success of Public Policies
Trade: Winners and Losers in the North and South
After the Brexit referendum and the US election, commentators on all sides have sparred over who are the winners and losers when it comes to trade. Most economists agree that more trade on the whole is good, but that its impact can vary dramatically. The relationship between trade and inequality is then less obvious. For starters, the impacts of trade on inequality may be very … [Read more...] about Trade: Winners and Losers in the North and South
Where Peruvian Education Reaps Rewards
The results of the triennial Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) exam tend to land in Latin America and the Caribbean like a shower of icy water. The 2015 exam was no different. For all the progress the region has made in education, for all the increases in investment and near universal enrollment at the primary school level, the region sat in the bottom half of … [Read more...] about Where Peruvian Education Reaps Rewards
Severing the Link Between Oil and Conflict
The explosives ignite, the pipeline bursts, and tens of thousands of barrels of oil pour into grasslands and rivers, destroying a vital source of income and large quantities of animals and fish. Frequent attacks on pipelines by leftist rebels over the last 20 years have devastated fragile ecosystems in Colombia and cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars in lost … [Read more...] about Severing the Link Between Oil and Conflict