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This paper describes social capital as the missing link in the understanding of growth and development, which has traditionally been analysed in terms of physical, natural and human capital. It also discusses the definition, monitoring and measurement of social capital, and ends with a list of suggestions for donors seeking to incorporate these ideas in their work

This report reviews the literature on the causes of observed changes in health and fertility levels, the evaluation of policies, and programs designed to accelerate these changes; and presents the findings of earlier assessments of the World Bank's work in the Health, Nutrition, and Population (HNP) subsectors. A framework outlining the relationships between Bank activities in the sector, the characteristics of the health care system, household behavior, and changes in health outcomes is presented; and four evaluative criteria for assessing the performance of health care systems are identified. Broadly, the approach anticipates that Bank activities are more successful, as measured by their influence on system performance, when they achieve an appropriate fit between the institutional incentives, which determine the supply of health goods and services, the nature of those goods and services, and consumer demand. This report ends by describing a strategy for assessing the development effectiveness of the Bank's work in the HNP sectors. [Publisher's abstract]

The report complements the paper "The Condition of Young Children in Sub-Saharan Africa" (report no. WTP326). This report reviews current programs and policies across a set of country experiences, and focuses on efforts which address intersecting health, nutrition, and early education needs of children aged zero to six in their institutional and socio-cultural environments. Eleven approaches to early childhood development were selected for study. The report analyzes in each case the contextual impetus from which program and policy choices were made. The analysis begins with program and policy features which directly affect children and their families, then works outward to levels of community, regional, national and international support. Concluding chapters highlight gaps in experience to date and summarize challenges which lie ahead for creating integrated supports to health, nutrition, and early education in a manner that is consistent with the strengths of tradition and culture in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This paper surveys health reform in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, in the aftermath of their independence and transition from the Soviet command economy. Socio-economic, epidomiological and institutional realities face the countries. Section 2 sets out demographic and epidemiological trends, which suggest the scope and priorities for health services. The next section analyzes recent economic performance, highlighting worsening financial constraints. The existing health systems are evaluated in Section 4, centering on their primary strengths and weaknesses. Section 5 addresses critical institutional elements of the reform process, including decentralization and staffing issues. The reform agenda facing health policymakers in Central Asia is then investigated in Section 6, focusing upon empirical and descriptive aspects, in order to provide a reliable basis for discussing future options. Section 7 concludes that the large declines in real health spending signal that each country will have to do more with less. Consequently, current public health programs like maternal and child health programs will need to be restructured; improvement incentives to induce consumers and providors to behave more efficiently will have to be issued; and modorn management and quality assurance systems will have to be introduced. Although the reform debate focuses on financial sustainability, particularly attempts to bring in additional non-budget revenues, equally important is the need to focus on basic public health activities and delivery system restructuring.