Investments in human capital are essential to people’s wellbeing, enhancing productivity, inclusive economic growth, poverty reduction, and promoting crisis preparedness. As crises like COVID-19 and climate change shock countries, these investments become doubly important.
For decades, IDA has focused on investing in people through nutrition, health care, quality education, jobs, social protection, and skills. Today, the World Bank is prioritizing human capital as a special theme in IDA20.
Through eight policy commitments, solutions are focused on restoring human capital losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic; rebuilding quality, core social services; and accelerating the pre-crisis trajectories of human capital gains. The policy commitments are designed to help countries address the growing gaps in health, education and social protection—and provide a foundation for sustained recovery and resilience. Digital solutions will be critical for recovery and play a role in closing the gaps.
Highlights of IDA in action include:
In Rwanda, IDA worked with partners to increase coverage of core safety net programs from 67 percent to 92 percent of eligible households. The project also improved timeliness of the delivery of cash transfers from 60 percent to nearly 100 percent and introduced innovations to ensure the program was gender-, child-, and nutrition-sensitive.
As Bangladesh aspires to universal primary school enrollment, IDA has provided primary education to 735,000 disadvantaged children, half of them girls, from underserved rural areas and urban slums through innovative and community-led programs.
In the Republic of Congo, IDA is empowering thousands of vulnerable young people with training and skills for successful employment in mechanics, carpentry, hospitality, electricity, plumbing, baking, welding and beyond.
Across dozens of countries, IDA is supporting efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to COVID-19 including vaccine rollouts and strengthening systems for universal health coverage and capacity for preparedness and response.
Last Updated: Mar 28, 2023