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Blog post
Ghana lifts the lockdown: Has the government reneged on its commitment to contain COVID-19 at all costs?
Along with many other countries, the government of Ghana announced a lockdown of the economic hubs of the country as part of its measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. In expressing the government’s commitment to containing the pandemic, the President declared, “we know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to...
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Blog post
COVID-19 and the impact on women
Preliminary figures show that women and men are being infected by COVID-19 in roughly equal numbers, but the mortality rate is higher for men. This is potentially due to sex-based immunological or gendered differences, such as the prevalence of smoking. However, the scarcity of gender disaggregated data makes any effective comparison difficult. Moreover, research on...
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Blog post
The long road towards supply chain trade in Africa
Low-cost inputs trade, simple rules-of-origin, and digital connectivity are key to regional trade integration and global value chain participation. The recent Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), in force since May 2019, is an important opportunity to develop and deepen supply chain trade across Africa. Evidence shows that integration into production networks -...
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Blog post
Engaging with mosque imams for effective responses to COVID-19
Authors’ note: The results discussed in this blog are based on a pilot. These findings are preliminary and are being presented for initial consideration and discussion. We will update this blog once information from wider research is available. In order to combat the spread of COVID-19, a large number of Islamic countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, and...
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Blog post
The structural constraints limiting Zambia’s economic response to COVID-19
Health pandemics, like other calamities, are great revealers. Not only do they come at a colossal cost to human life, but often expose and lay bare the structural problems riddling an economy. The COVID-19 pandemic is emblematic of this. It has affected 184 countries around the world with preliminary estimates indicating that it will cost the global economy at least USD 1...
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Blog post
When a failure to diversify meets COVID-19: Implications for Nigeria
Africa’s most populous nation faces a greater challenge than most from COVID-19 with its government revenues decimated following the crash in oil prices. As Africa’s largest economy with a population of close to 200 million, Nigeria is critical to the COVID-19 response in the region. One in five sub-Saharan Africans are Nigerians and the economic and social impacts of...
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Blog post
From Zika to COVID-19: Can we learn lessons across pandemics?
Evidence gathered during the course of the Zika outbreak in the Americas in 2015 provides important lessons for policymakers in today’s COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought social life and economic activity to a near halt in most countries around the globe. Viruses and viral outbreaks have shaped the course of human history, with COVID-19 representing the...
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Blog post
Technology and property tax: Raising city revenue in Kampala
Recent technology has proved effective in expanding the city’s tax base but requires up to date data and is no substitute for supportive policy and legislation. Property taxes are a hugely important potential source of revenue for cities. Faced with limited municipal revenues and rapidly growing populations, taxes on the value of land and property can offer a...
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Blog post
Pandemics amidst fragilities: Implications and risks in the time of COVID-19
The challenges that conflict-affected and fragile settings face in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are distinct and arguably greater than in rest of the world. The current crisis could exacerbate on-going systemic fragilities to a breaking point if not managed promptly. It is critical for response policies in these settings to target contextual sources of fragility...
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Blog post
COVID-19: Pakistan’s preparations and response
The government of Pakistan has taken unprecedented steps to counter the effects of COVID-19 crisis, but is unclear if these will be enough given the challenges facing the country prior to the pandemic. Pakistan is amongst the 180+ countries dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. There are now clear warnings of a global economic recession as workers continue to fall sick,...
Blog post
COVID-19 funding in federal systems: Lessons from Nepal
With COVID-19, the federal governments of many developing countries are grappling with a crisis that requires both a central and local response. Coordinating across spheres can be tough, especially when the effects of the disease are amplified by other emergencies. Our survey of local governments in Nepal shows how mismatches between COVID-19 caseloads and funding can...