news

Leaving no parent behind: Lessons from family friendly policies in Nepal

Submitted by pmassetti on
worldbank.org (07.03.2025) Designing family-friendly policies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) requires being cognizant of the diverse labor markets, administrative challenges, fiscal constraints, and prevailing social norms. A World Bank study in Nepal evaluated parental leave and related benefits to identify implementation gaps and opportunities to expand coverage to parents, especially those in the informal sector.
Regions / Country
nepal
Topics
Family benefits
Document Type

A brief history of Medicaid and America’s long struggle to establish a health care safety net

Submitted by pmassetti on
theconversation.com (18.03.2025) The Medicaid system has emerged as an early target of the Trump administration’s campaign to slash federal spending. A joint federal and state program, Medicaid provides health insurance coverage for more than 72 million people, including low-income Americans and their children and people with disabilities. It also helps foot the bill for long-term care for older people. In late February 2025, House Republicans advanced a budget proposal that would potentially cut US$880 billion from Medicaid over 10 years.
Regions / Country
United States
Document Type

Nigeria: NSITF partners media to deepen social protection safety net

Submitted by pmassetti on
Vanguard News (17.03.2025) In a strategic move to expand Nigeria’s  social protection safety net, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, has announced a partnership with the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ.
Regions / Country
nigeria
Topics
Communication
Document Type

Supporting the transition to digital cash transfers in rural Mexico

Submitted by pmassetti on
voxdev.org (21.01.2025) Women in Mexico who switched to digital cash transfers face higher costs and time accessing payments but gain bargaining power. Improving ATM access, reducing fees, providing timely information on the date of transfers and boosting financial literacy could mitigate these challenges.
Regions / Country
mexico
Topics
Digital inclusion
Service delivery

Tags

Document Type

Singapore looks to AI help to manage health of fast-aging population

Submitted by pmassetti on
cnbc.com (09.03.2025) By 2030, a quarter of Singaporeans will be 65 or over — in 2010, the figure was one in 10. Artificial intelligence is set to play a “huge” role in elderly care in Singapore, said Chuan De Foo, a research fellow at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. But the use of technology must be balanced with human caregiving, said Dr Han Ei Chew, a research fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, describing a “high tech, but high touch” approach.
Regions / Country
singapore
Global challenges
Topics
Old-age pensions
Document Type

Rethinking unemployment insurance: New evidence on hidden costs

Submitted by pmassetti on
CEPR (24.02.2025) As governments worldwide grapple with labour shortages and systemic budget shortfalls, the question arises of how unemployment insurance policies potentially contribute to this imbalance by increasing and extending nonemployment. This column argues that recent debates around unemployment insurance reform, which often focus on the effect among job seekers, overlook potential unintended consequences among the employed. Taking moral hazard among employed workers into account has substantial effects on the welfare implications of unemployment insurance.
Topics
Employment
Document Type

Warsaw sets sights on European digital health revolution

Submitted by pmassetti on
Euractiv (03.03.2025) Poland intends to use its presidency to promote European solutions in digital healthcare transformation while working towards establishing common standards for medical data at the EU level. Along with healthcare digitalisation, prevention, mental health and combating disinformation were also discussed. Healthcare digitalisation in Poland is an area that may be of interest to the European Union.
Regions / Country
poland
Global challenges
Topics
Health
Document Type

Pensions vs earnings across Europe: The highest and lowest comparisons

Submitted by pmassetti on
Euronews (13.02.2025) In many European countries, pension income is significantly lower than pre-retirement earnings from work. This makes it difficult for many older people to maintain their standard of living after retirement. Nearly one in six pensioners are at the risk-of-poverty in the EU, with the rate increasing from 12% in 2013 to 15.5% in 2023. So, how do pensions compare to pre-retirement work income across Europe?
Regions / Country
Europe
Topics
Pensions
Document Type

Singapore. Rethinking ageing: From caregiving to community and contribution

Submitted by pmassetti on
pensionpolicyinternational.com (17.02.2025) Caring for an elderly loved one might not be on your radar right now, but it’s a role many of us will take on eventually. “Almost all of us in Singapore will be, or already are, a caregiver,” Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, CEO of the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), observed. When his childless, widowed paternal uncle, now in his mid-80s, was hospitalised with a severe bout of influenza A, it was Mr Dinesh’s parents – both in their 70s – who stepped in.
Regions / Country
singapore
Global challenges
Topics
Long-term care
Old-age pensions
Document Type

India: Gig workers may soon get pension benefits via EPFO

Submitted by pmassetti on
The Economic Times (06.02.2025) The Ministry of Labour and Employment is set to introduce a policy granting pension benefits to gig and platform workers through the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation. This will supplement the existing health cover under PM Jan Aarogya Yojana. The pension plan, funded by aggregators, aims to provide financial security for gig workers, recognizing their significant contribution to the services economy.
Regions / Country
india
Topics
Platform workers
Digital plateform workers
Document Type