ip-watch (23.05.2016) The World Health Assembly opened today with World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan repeating that this year has a record number of agenda items and over 3,000 participants. She slapped at profit-seeking mechanisms leading to “slow-motion disasters,” which put economic interests above concerns about well-being. In particular, she underlined the lack of research and development for antimicrobial treatments and the rise of chronic non-communicable diseases.

Daily Trust (22.05.2016) The acting managing director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Ismail Agaka, has said that NSITF Act is presently going through the legislative process of amendment at the National Assembly to give clout to execute other aspects of social protection programmes. He said the trust fund has, in this regard, begun aggressive training of its staff in readiness for the expansion of its mandate.

World Bank/News (20.05.2016) In 2011, Tunisia set itself on a new trajectory, peacefully ousting a 30-year dictatorship. In the five years that have followed, Tunisians have passed a new constitution and held democratic elections. Tunisia’s also managed to maintain stability, despite security threats at home and unrest next door in Libya. But, though it’s moved forward politically, social inequity inside it persists, with little progress on the sort of economic reforms needed to address the underlying roots of the country’s democratic uprising.

thehindubusinessline.com (22.05.2016) Health insurance for alternative treatments like Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush) is set to expand with the Centre taking steps to get insurers to develop packages for traditional treatments.

The Guardian(23.05.2016) The reluctance of doctors to work in remote rural areas has set back healthcare in India’s villages, but a public-private partnership in Rajasthan aims to fix that

France Antilles (22.05.2016) Emploi : sale temps pour les seniors et les femmes Mardi 17 mai 2016 Emploi : sale temps pour les seniors et les femmes Le chômage a très légèrement reculé en 2015. Mais les demandeurs d'emplois seniors, notamment les femmes, ne profitent pas de l'embellie, bien au contraire.

Tribune de Genève (08.05.2016) Pour rétablir l'équilibre de son financement, le patron de Swiss Life Patrick Frost préconise une nette baisse du taux de conversion et une hausse significative de l'âge de départ à la retraite.

adiac-congo.com (18.05.2016) Le système de sécurité sociale actuellement en vigueur au Congo prend en charge uniquement les agents de l’Etat et les travailleurs du secteur privé. C’est ainsi que le gouvernement a pris l’engagement d’étendre la protection sociale dans ses aspects de base dans l’ensemble de la population. Dans une interview exclusive aux Dépêches de Brazzaville, l’Administrateur de MAD Invest, Christian Maniongui, revient sur les résultats des études menées par son cabinet sur l’assurance maladie et présentés récemment aux autorités congolaises.

EurActiv.com (19.05.2016) A growing number of Europeans are living in “relative poverty”, the UN labour agency said Wednesday (18 May), warning that a lack of quality jobs worldwide was threatening to undo decades of progress in poverty reduction.

China Business Review (06.05.2016) Rising labor costs in China are setting off alarms with foreign investors because of increasing minimum wages and living standards, as well as the extensively developed social security system. However, as the central government exerts pressure to maintain economic growth targets, the cost of employees’ welfare benefits has been substantially reduced.