Global Challenges search

Select the global challenge
Title Abstract Tags Topics Regions / Country
Are we on track when it comes to healthy ageing? pmassetti World Economic Forum (01.10.2025) By 2030, 1.4 billion people will be aged over 60, with low- and middle-income countries hosting 80% of older populations, highlighting urgent disparities in health, care and social support. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing was launched by WHO to focus on age-friendly environments, combating ageism, integrated care and long-term care. Critical gaps remain as awareness is still low; accelerated action is therefore, needed to scale community-based programmes, strengthen intergenerational linkages and integrate initiatives. Old-age pensions
US: Lack of a retirement system for gig workers will be a crisis pmassetti postandcourier.com (29.09.2025) America is fast approaching a historic milestone. By 2027, freelancers will make up more than 50 percent of the workforce, marking a fundamental shift in the U.S. labor market. Yet many of these workers will have no retirement plan. According to the Pew Research Center, only 13 percent of single-person business owners are saving for retirement compared to almost three-fourths of Americans in traditional jobs. That leaves tens of millions of freelancers and independent workers at risk, just as other forms of retirement security begin to falter. Freelancers, contractors, creators and small-business owners are set to become the backbone of our economy. When they do, they’ll be working without a retirement system that supports their earnings. That’s a national crisis in the making. digital platforms Pensions, Platform workers United States
Aging in the U.S. and Korea: Same Sphere, Different Realities pmassetti civilreporter.co.kr (22.09.2025) Both the United States and South Korea are experiencing rapid population aging, but the patterns and social responses differ greatly. The U.S., already moving beyond an “aged society” into a “super-aged society,” is turning this change into a field of opportunity. Korea, meanwhile, is aging at the fastest pace in the world, but its institutions and perceptions still lag behind. In particular, when we look at five areas where the U.S. has shown distinctive developments—△labor market △long-term care & healthcare △finance & consumption patterns △culture & entertainment △politics & society—the contrasts become even clearer. Let us first examine the U.S. reality. Population ageing korea, Republic of, United States
Publication: Measuring Welfare When It Matters Most: Learning from Country Applications pmassetti In 2023, the Poverty Global Department launched an initiative to take stock of this growing body of knowledge. What did we know about which real-time monitoring (RTM) approaches worked best in different settings? A key milestone in this agenda was the publication of Measuring Welfare When It Matters Most: A typology of approaches for real-time monitoring. That publication mapped out the broader landscape of existing RTM approaches, reflecting on relevant use cases and caveats and providing a summary of key methodological resources. The aim was to guide practitioners in choosing the most context-appropriate tools to answer their questions. This edited volume was prepared as a complement to that publication, aimed at those readers interested in learning more about how RTM approaches have been practically applied on the ground. Measuring Welfare When it Matters Most: Learning from Country Applications delves deeper into selected examples, offering a more detailed look at how to design and implement high-frequency monitoring systems in different types of country settings and in response to different types of policy questions. The chapters walk the reader through these case studies and reflect on methodological best practices, practical challenges, and lessons learned.
Rethinking social safety nets in a changing society pmassetti Historically, India’s approach to social safety nets has involved identifying the poor and providing them with priority access to social protection. Analysing data from the India Human Development Survey, collected in three waves across 2004-05, 2011-12 and 2022-24, this article finds that households face considerable transition in and out of poverty as the economy grows, making it difficult to identify and target the poor in a precise manner. 
Publication: Exploring the Impacts of Social Protection on Social Cohesion in the Sahel pmassetti worldbank.org (24.09.2025) In the Sahel, vulnerability, poverty, competition over natural resources, and limited economic opportunities have weakened social bonds and fueled conflict, dynamics further exacerbated by climate change. Within this context, social protection emerges as a key tool to strengthen social cohesion by fostering institutional trust, community cooperation, and the relationship between citizens and the state. However, evidence on its impacts in the region remains limited and fragmented, particularly regarding different dimensions of cohesion (intra- and inter-community, as well as citizen–state relations). To address these gaps, UNICEF, the World Bank, and the World Food Programme are jointly implementing a research project that combines quantitative and qualitative methods to identify the causal links between social protection and social cohesion, while analyzing program design, implementation, and contextual factors that shape these outcomes in the Sahel. Policy analysis Africa
China’s 200m gig workers are a warning for the world pmassetti economist.com (18.09.2025) The biggest workforce in the world has undergone an extraordinary transformation. China’s farm labourers and industrial proletariat have been joined by an army of gig workers. Tens of millions now use tech platforms to find jobs for fleeting periods; fully 200m, or 40% of the urban labour force, depend on some kind of flexible work. The fortunes of these precarious workers, many of whom struggle to buy property and gain access to public services and benefits, will shape China’s economy and society for years to come. As technology remakes labour markets, China’s gig workers offer lessons for countries everywhere. digital platforms Platform workers china
Accelerating the uptake of digital solutions by the health and care workforce in the WHO European Region pmassetti who.int (01.09.2025) Digital health technologies (‎DHTs)‎ are becoming an integral part of successful and sustainable health service delivery in every Member State of the WHO European Region. Despite increasing evidence of their impact in optimizing the capability of the health and care workforce, enabling access to health services, and improving patient empowerment and quality of care, the adoption of DHTs by the workforce has been slow and faces significant challenges. Research indicates that multifaceted barriers to increasing DHT use by the workforce are related to infrastructure, training, time, workload, ethics, and legal and technical factors. These barriers were consistently identified, irrespective of the level of care or type of technology employed. Medical care Europe
Setting the foundation for quality management in facility-based long-term care in Greece pmassetti who.int (28.08.2025) In support of Greece’s ongoing long-term care (‎LTC)‎ reforms, this technical brief identifies key gaps in the current quality management system for facility-based/residential care and proposes key pathways for addressing these challenges and driving transformative change in quality management. Drawing on international evidence and national and regional case studies from Europe, the brief outlines key quality standards and proposes indicators for monitoring progress. It additionally proposes targeted policy pathways for expanding and strengthening quality assurance mechanisms, as well as incentivizing continuous quality improvement for residential care. While focusing on μονάδεσ φροντίδασ ηλικιωμένων [‎older people’s care units]‎ – the primary category of LTC residential facilities in Greece – the recommendations are applicable to a broader range of residential care settings and offer insights for other countries seeking to establish or improve quality management systems in facility-based LTC. Long-term care greece
Publication: How Scale-Up Happens: Financing, Political Economy, and Delivery in Social Assistance Expansion pmassetti worldbank.org (15.09.2025) Scaling up has become a rallying cry of social protection initiatives. The rationale for it is clear: with glaring coverage gaps globally and regionally, including nearly 2 billion people with no access to social protection in low- and middle-income countries, the extension of coverage is a key priority enshrined in an array of national and global commitments. Yet relatively little work has been devoted to examining how scale up happens. Understanding such an expansion process calls for examining the forces preventing it: these include, among others, fiscal constraints, possible political resistance, and limited delivery capabilities. A rich thematic literature has examined those constraints convincingly, including pointing out an array of compelling strategic, policy and operational implications for each theme. Yet, those factors taken individually can seldom offer a theory of change reconciling the forces shaping scale up processes. Some contexts with relatively adequate fiscal revenues may opt for high coverage of cash transfers (e.g., Indonesia), while others at comparatively similar or even more favorable financial positions may settle for lower levels of cash transfers coverage (e.g., Botswana); delivery systems can facilitate scale-up in some settings (e.g., Kenya), but there are cases where high scale-up was attained at relatively low levels of delivery capabilities (e.g., Yemen). This report aims to fill such a gap by emphasizing the interdependence of fiscal, political economy and delivery in explaining scale-up of cash transfer programs. Extension of coverage
How trade policy can help create a fairer digital economy pmassetti World Economic Forum (15.09.2025) The digital economy is transforming livelihoods at an unprecedented pace, with digital services accounting for over half of global services exports. As digital labour becomes a key export for many developing countries, questions of trade policy and standards lie alongside those about jobs. The priority should be building a digital economy that delivers innovation and growth, as well as dignity, fairness and security for workers worldwide. digital platforms Platform workers
Mexico’s Politics Of Pensions pmassetti eurasiareview.com (08.09.2025) Like many countries with an aging population, Mexico is facing a pension crisis. In just the last five years, the universal pension for older adults quadrupled its budget. Coupled with low growth, the ever-rising cash transfers and subsidies have become a major drag on the country’s economy. Welfare payments to individuals—such as the universal pension for older adults, disability pensions, and student stipends—have grown at a pace that outstripped investment in infrastructure, education, and security. These programs are politically attractive: beneficiaries can clearly see where the money goes, while the returns of better public infrastructure, or of a more effective police force, are harder to measure. The result is a fiscal structure that privileges visible redistribution over the less glamorous but essential foundations of long-term growth. Pensions mexico
Can people afford to pay for health care? New evidence on financial protection in Italy pmassetti who.int (05.09.2025) This review is part of a series of country-based studies generating new evidence on affordable access to health care (‎financial protection)‎ in health systems in Europe. Financial protection is central to universal health coverage and a core dimension of health system performance. Catastrophic health spending is higher in Italy than in many other European Union countries. It is heavily concentrated in households with low incomes, households in the southern region and households headed by pensioners. It is mainly driven by outpatient medicines and outpatient care in poorer households and by dental care in richer households. There is also a significant gap in unmet need for care between the richest and poorest people. Efforts to improve financial protection should focus on addressing long waiting times; reducing co-payments; expanding coverage of dental care and medical products; reviewing the equity and efficiency of the 19% tax rebate on out-of-pocket payments; reducing regional inequalities in access to health care; and extending entitlement to adult undocumented migrants. To meet equity and efficiency goals now and in the future (‎particularly in the context of population ageing)‎ the Government should ensure that levels of public spending on health are sufficient and carefully targeted to reduce financial hardship and unmet need for households with low incomes and find ways to improve equity across regions. Health italy
Malaysia: Dewan Rakyat passes Gig Workers Bill pmassetti freemalaysiatoday.com (28.08.2025) The Dewan Rakyat has passed the Gig Workers Bill 2025, which sets out rights for gig workers and rules for firms and platforms that hire them. The bill makes it clear that gig workers must get fair terms in their agreements, be told of their pay and tasks in advance, and their services cannot be terminated without good cause. Key elements include an official definition of gig workers, setting minimum compensation, establishing a complaints mechanism, and ensuring social security protection through mandatory contributions to Perkeso. digital platforms Platform workers malaysia
US. New Portable Benefits Bill Aims To Help Gig Workers, But Worker Classification Still Matters pmassetti Pension Policy International (19.08.2025) Senator Bill Cassidy (R- IL) uncovered the Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act to prevent gig worker misclassification. Under this legislation, companies will be able to voluntarily offer portable benefits without employing gig workers and having to pay for unemployment insurance, overtime pay, and workers’ compensation. For some time, there has been a disagreement between labor advocates and large companies like Uber or Lyft over portable benefits. Gig workers have been advocating for worker protections, while larger companies have fought back, deeming them independent contractors. Though larger corporations have mostly won, portable benefits are increasingly seen as a way for independent contractors and gig workers to progress. So far, there have been some modest voluntary programs from larger companies who are testing out the portable benefit scene. For example, DoorDash launched a pilot program in which 4% of workers’ pre-tip wages are placed in a savings account for them, amounting to less than $400 in over a year. digital platforms Platform workers United States
Why nature-related risk is the next strategic priority for pension schemes pmassetti TLT LLP (24.08.2025) Climate-related risk is now firmly embedded in trustees’ responsibilities and consciousness. However, the broader environmental agenda, including biodiversity loss, natural capital depletion and ecosystem degradation, impacts pension schemes (through investment implications, economic stability generally and the long-term financial wellbeing of members) and now demands board-level attention.  With the World Economic Forum ranking biodiversity loss among the most severe global risks, stakeholders are increasingly recognising that reporting frameworks should reflect its value. In 2024, 320 organisations from over 40 countries (accounting for US$14 trillion in assets under management) committed to making nature-related disclosures based on the Government-supported Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) recommendations Pensions, Shocks & extreme events
Publication: Who Participates in Defined Contribution Pension Systems When Informality is High?: Evidence from 20 Years of Administrative Records from the Dominican Republic pmassetti worldbank.org (31.07.2025) This note is part of a collaboration between the World Bank’s development research group (DECRG) and development impact group (DIME) and the Dominican Pension Superintendency (SIPEN), the autonomous agency responsible for supervising the private pension system. The main goal of this collaboration is to leverage the rich administrative data managed by SIPEN to provide insight on the performance of the pension system for policymakers and the public and conduct academic research that can guide pension policy in the DR and beyond. In particular, the administrative records of pension contributions constitute a complete dataset of matched employer-employee data, providing a comprehensive view of formal labor market dynamics and complete formal work history for individuals. The World Bank and SIPEN teams collaborated to extract a representative data sample suitable for data analysis and policy research, described in the data section below. While this study centers on the examination of contribution density patterns disaggregated by gender and birth cohorts, Appella and Zunino (2025) concurrently conducted a complementary analysis using the same dataset, with their research focusing specifically on estimating the determinants of contribution transitions. Pensions dominican republic
Care at work in Oman pmassetti Investing in care leave and services for a more gender equal world of work Family benefits oman
Innovation agenda for public health in the WHO European Region 2025–2030 pmassetti who.int (24.07.2025) The Innovation agenda for public health in the WHO European Region 2025–2030 is a strategic blueprint developed to accelerate transformative innovation across public health systems in the Region. The Agenda responds to converging demographic, epidemiological, environmental and technological challenges that demand urgent, systemic change through innovation. It identifies four high-impact “mega shifts”, each targeting key barriers and opportunities for health innovation. These shifts prioritize mission-driven partnerships, ethical and inclusive data digital infrastructure, workforce empowerment and the realignment of incentives to ensure that public and private sector efforts are coordinated for maximum health impact, equity and sustainability. The Agenda provides actionable guidance for policy-makers, health authorities and partners, supporting the implementation of the European Programme of Work 2025–2030 and positioning the Region to achieve measurable improvements in health outcomes, system resilience and equity for all populations. Health Europe
Senegal: Integrating and Extending Social Protection to Support a Just Transition | International Labour Organization pmassetti This fact sheet explores ways to integrate and strengthen social protection to support a just transition in Senegal. Given the country's vulnerability to the effects of climate change, particularly in the agriculture, tourism, and fisheries sectors, the study highlights the importance of a robust social protection system to mitigate socioeconomic impacts and promote inclusion.
Nigeria: Leveraging social protection for inclusive climate action and a just transition pmassetti ilo.org (18.07.2025) This note has been developed to inform the government, social partners and other stakeholders on how social protection systems can play a pivotal role in supporting a just transition in Nigeria. By highlighting opportunities to link existing and new social protection initiatives to climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts, the objective is to equip readers with concrete insights and considerations for safeguarding livelihoods, addressing social risks, and promoting resilience among workers and vulnerable populations affected by climate change and a shift to a greener economy. Shocks & extreme events nigeria
How contribution subsidies like Jordan’s Estidama++ are redrawing the social protection map pmassetti ilo.org (16.07.2025) The Arab Social Protection Compass series hosted a webinar on the topic titled 'Bridging the Coverage and Formalization Gap Through Subsidized Social Security Contributions', where the results of the global study were discussed. The session brought together lessons from selected country experiences, including Jordan’s Estidama++ programme, an example of how well-designed subsidies can lead to lasting results. “Jordan’s Estidama++ programme stands out as a case where a short-term subsidy led to lasting enrolment in social security system. It is designed to support vulnerable workers and small businesses during the post-COVID recovery, by helping them cover their social security contributions for a set period, aiming to help the workers take an important step toward formal employment and encourage them to remain in the social protection system even after the subsidy ended,” said Mohammed Khrais, SSC Head of Research and Actuarial Studies Administration. Extension of coverage jordan
Publication: Innovations in Mental Health Services Delivery: International Experiences and Trends pmassetti worldbank.org (09.07.2025) This paper highlights the successes and challenges of international mental health innovations, providing a roadmap for achieving sustainable, rights-based care systems that prioritize the whole-life needs of individuals and communities. The global shift from institutional to community-based mental health care represents a critical evolution in addressing the needs of individuals with mental health conditions. However, significant challenges persist in implementing systemic reforms, particularly in lower- and middleincome countries (LMIC), where psychiatric hospitals continue to dominate. Deinstitutionalization (DI), a cornerstone of these reforms, requires not only the closure of psychiatric hospitals but also the transformation of mental health systems into holistic, community-centered models. This transition involves legislative support, resource reallocation, and the development of integrated services addressing housing, employment, and social inclusion. Human rights frameworks, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, are increasingly shaping policies, emphasizing empowerment, dignity, and the active participation of individuals with lived experience. Health
Rethinking social protection sustainability: What people want (and don’t want) | CEPR pmassetti cepr.org (05.07.2025) Population ageing makes it harder for governments to finance programmes like public pensions and long-term care. But policy responses, such as tightening programme eligibility and benefit levels or raising taxes on current workers, often prove unpopular. This column presents findings from the latest wave of the OECD’s Risks that Matter survey, which takes stock of risk perceptions and preferences for social protection in 27 OECD countries. While public appetite for greater taxes and contributions appears to be worsening, promoting inclusive labour force participation and improving efficiencies in social programme delivery show considerable public support and, importantly, are also feasible in practice. behavioural science Policy analysis
South Korea: New Proposal Seeks to Extend Employer Pension Contributions to Gig Workers pmassetti koreabizwire.com (10.07.2025) South Korea is weighing a significant pension reform that could bring platform workers — such as food delivery riders and chauffeur-for-hire drivers — under the same pension contribution scheme as regular employees, with their platforms potentially covering half of their premiums. A new report released Tuesday by the National Pension Research Institute calls for extending employer-like responsibilities to digital platforms, arguing that most platform workers operate under economically dependent conditions despite being legally classified as independent contractors. digital platforms Pensions, Platform workers korea, Republic of