Sustaining gains in poverty reduction and human development in the Middle East and North Africa / Farrukh Iqbal.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

Iqbal, Farrukh.

Contributor:

World Bank.

Series:

Orientations in development

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Poverty--Middle East.

Poverty.

Poverty--Africa, North.

Human capital--Middle East.

Human capital.

Human capital--Africa, North.

North Africa.

Middle East.

Physical Description:

xxv, 106 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : World Bank, 2006.

Summary:

Sustaining Gains in Poverty Reduction and Human Development in the Middle East and North Africa reviews the experience of the region with poverty and human development since the mid-1980s. The book finds evidence of stagnation in the rate of poverty reduction during this period, combined with substantial improvement in such non-income dimensions of poverty as health and education indicators. The first trend is a consequence of the stagnation of the region's economies during the period examined, while the second is likely due to several factors, including improvement in the delivery of public health and education services.

Failure to reduce poverty systematically since the mid-1980s highlights the importance of getting onto a higher growth track. On the other hand, the improvement in non-income dimensions of poverty suggests that-even in the absence of income growth-the health and education aspects of the living standards of the poor can be enhanced through appropriate attention to public service delivery. Raising the average growth rate will require maintaining sound macroeconomic management and accelerating structural changes to make the region's economies more open and business-friendly. Sustaining gains in human development will require tackling new challenges. In education, the focus must now shift from quantity to quality. In health, attention must continue to be paid to the needs of the poor and to the new diseases arising from changing demographics and shifts in diets and other lifestyle choices. In social protection, more emphasis must be placed on efficiency and insurance objectives than has been the case in the region.

This book will be of great interest to those working with the countries of the Middle East and North Africa in the areas of economic policy, poverty reduction strategies, education reform and management, public health, and social development.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Income Poverty Trends and Patterns 1

Data Availability 1

Snapshot of Poverty in the 1980s 1

Poverty Trends 6

Trends in Inequality 6

Poverty Levels from National Poverty Lines 9

Factors Underlying Poverty Trends in the Middle East and North Africa 9

Economic Vulnerability 13

Poverty Characteristics: Evidence from National Poverty Lines 14

Chapter 2 Trends in Human Development Indicators 21

Regional Comparisons 21

Country-Specific Performance 23

Gender Dimensions of Human Development 27

Chapter 3 Education and Poverty 33

Education-Poverty Links 34

Education Spending and Poverty Reduction 38

Education Quality Considerations 43

Chapter 4 Health and Poverty 47

Health and Poverty: The Record in the Middle East and North Africa 47

Determinants of Health Achievements in the Middle East and North Africa 51

Health Challenges Arising from Demographic and Epidemiologic Transition 55

Chapter 5 Safety Nets and the Poor 57

Food Subsidies 58

Energy Subsidies 63

Cash Assistance Programs 66

Public Works Programs 66

Microfinance Programs 70

Chapter 6 Sustaining the Gains in Poverty Reduction and Human Development 73

Growth Strategy and Poverty Reduction 73

Challenges for Human Development 76

Strengthening Social Safety Nets 79

Appendix 1 Estimating Poverty Rates 83

Appendix 2 GDP Per Capita (PPP) for the Middle East and North Africa Region and Comparator Countries, Selected Years, 1960-2000 85

Appendix 3 Human Development Statistics: Selected Years 87

Table 1.1 Household Survey Years by Middle Eastern and North African Country 2

Table 1.2 Poverty Head Count Ratios at $1/Day Line, 1984-91 5

Table 1.3 Poverty Head Count Ratios at $2/Day Line, 1984-91 5

Table 1.4 Comparison of Poverty Estimates Using International and National Poverty Lines 10

Table 1.5 Number of Poor People at Alternative Poverty Lines, 1987 and 2001 14

Table 2.1 Human Development in the Middle East and North Africa, Selected Years, 1960-2000 22

Table 3.1 Rates of Return on Schooling for Males in Selected Countries, Selected Years 37

Table 3.2 Country-Specific Patterns of Public Education Spending, Selected Years, 1970-2000 40.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 99-101) and index.

ISBN:

0821365274

0821365282

OCLC:

68003822

Publisher Number:

9780821365274