International Labour Organization (30.05.2025) China’s experience in pursuing universal health coverage: In recent years, China has made significant strides in extending health coverage. This technical report systematically summarizes China’s experience developing and strengthening its health system towards universal health protection. The report provides a clear picture of the recent evolution of the health system in China in the last decades and highlights remaining challenges.

worldbank.org (05.05.2025) In low-income countries, formal health systems are stretched thin, and rural and underserved areas often lack adequate primary healthcare coverage, delaying essential interventions and leaving populations vulnerable to preventable diseases. Mozambique was no exception. The country had particularly poor health outcomes among its peers, with high rates of stunting (40%) and malnutrition, as well as one of the highest rates of child marriage and adolescent fertility in the world.

World Food Programme (11.04.2025) In 2023, people in Nouakchott, Mauritania, experienced a steep increase in the cost of food and an overall upward rise in the cost of living, putting many at risk of acute food insecurity and malnutrition as they struggled to meet their basic needs. WFP responded by working with the Government of Mauritania to pilot the extension of one of the country’s national shock-responsive social safety net programmes - El Maouna - to households in the Mauritanian capital.

worldbank.org (24.04.2025) Low- and middle-income countries are aging rapidly but stagnation of growth in participation in pension programs, due to widespread informal employment, presents a major fiscal challenge. Some claim that improving the design of pension program rules can encourage more pension contributions, while others push for universal non-contributory pensions. This paper reviews the recent academic literature on the determinants of active participation in pension systems in high- informality settings.

ilo.org (23.04.2025) Digitalization and automation are transforming millions of jobs worldwide, creating powerful opportunities to enhance occupational safety and health. Automation and smart monitoring systems can reduce hazardous exposures, prevent injuries and improve overall working conditions. However, these advances also bring new potential risks that require proactive and adaptive policy responses.

worldbank.org (17.04.2025) This brief provides insight into how Ethiopia increased the duration of paid maternity leave from 90 to 120 days and introduced three days of paid paternity leave in 2019. While ensuring job-protected leave of adequate length and pay for both parents is critical for a variety of health, economic, and social development outcomes, just slightly more than half of economies in the Sub-Saharan Africa region provide paid maternity and paternity leave. The brief highlights specific characteristics of Ethiopia’s socioeconomic environment that incentivized the reform.

International Labour Organization (24.12.2024) This paper outlines the perspective and approach of the ILO’s Universal Social Protection Department to enhancing the gender-responsiveness of social protection policies, anchored in international social security standards and guided by a life-cycle approach to system-building.

Social protection goes well beyond cash transfers; it includes policies and programs that bridge skill, financial, and information gaps, aiding people in securing better jobs. The three pillars of social protection—social assistance, social insurance, and labor market programs—support households and workers in handling crises, escaping poverty, facing transitions, and seizing employment opportunities. But despite a substantial expansion over the past decade, 2 billion people remain uncovered or inadequately covered across low- and middle-income countries.

HelpAge International (22.03.2025) A practical guide to developing and using country profiles on the rights and wellbeing of older persons in the Arab region, based on HelpAge and UNFPA’s experience across 18 countries.

Social services play a crucial role in supporting individuals and communities across Europe, but ensuring consistent quality standards remains a challenge.