Early procurement and stockpiling of doses by wealthier countries has led to inequality in the vaccine rollout. International coordination and initiatives such as COVAX may offer a path to close the gap. The development of several safe and effective vaccines has been key in the global fight against Covid-19. In many countries, it has reoriented […]
Category: Aid & international development
Gender disparities in social and economic outcomes, already larger in the developing world than in the rich countries, have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Policy action is vital to address the compounding of existing inequalities and to protect the most vulnerable women. Covid-19 has exacerbated the existing inequalities between men and women in terms of […]
War in the ‘breadbasket of Europe’ is having a big impact on food security across the continent and the wider world. Crop shortages and the rising prices of food, fuel and fertiliser could become a source of further conflicts. Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat, corn and sunflower oil – and the Russian invasion […]
Reductions in official development assistance inevitably involve choices – for example, between protecting future biodiversity and feeding children in today’s humanitarian crises. But the real loss from aid cuts is UK leadership on global responses to poverty, Covid-19 and climate change. In July, the UK government announced that it would be cutting its international aid […]
” Sub-Saharan Africa seems to have been less affected by coronavirus than many developed countries in terms of cases and deaths. Lessons from the Ebola epidemic may have helped, but economic damage from the current pandemic will still be considerable. Fewer cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Africa compared with the United States and […]
Many low- and middle-income countries face problems servicing their external debts while tackling the global health emergency and the ensuing economic damage. To ensure debt sustainability, the existing stock of debt needs to be restructured, potentially involving substantial debt write-downs. The first wave of Covid-19 led to a sudden collapse in capital flows to emerging […]
Firms in emerging markets have suffered at least as much from Covid-19 as those in advanced economies. Evidence suggests that they have cut investment rather than laying-off staff. They have also been flexible with suppliers and business partners, and tried to support their communities. The economic fallout from the pandemic has been severe, with whole […]
People’s economic experience of Covid-19 depends partly on whether it is possible for them to work from home. Fewer jobs can be done at home in poorer countries, which means that workers are at risk of either losing their jobs or becoming exposed to the virus while at work. The ability to work from home […]
Lockdown led to a severe demand shock for firms, especially in the hospitality, transport and retail sectors. Analysis of administrative tax data suggests that half of formal firms may become unprofitable, exit rates double and tax revenues from firms fall by over 1.5% of GDP. The Covid-19 pandemic is generating a vast shock to both […]
Faced with the severe health and economic damage caused by Covid-19, governments may wish to protect their citizens by securing vaccines first. But such ‘vaccine nationalism’ has consequences and may not be the wise choice in the longer term. The UK’s rollout of vaccines is proceeding at a fast pace. Over 46 million doses have […]