Human Development

Key Issues

	ACTAfrica - HIV/AIDS in Africa
	Booster Program for Malaria Control in Africa
	Education
	Health, Nutrition & Population
	Social Protection
	Tuberculosis (TB) in Africa

Human Development Africa Publications

Africa Region Human Development Working Paper Series

Human Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Human Development is one of the major challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) today. Human capital is a critical factor in the fight to reduce poverty and reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The overarching goal for the Bank's assistance to SSA is poverty reduction through sustained economic growth at a high level, with a pro-poor distribution, and improved social services. Past experience from both industrialized and newly industrialized countries demonstrate that a minimum level of human resources development has been a pre-requisite for the success of such a strategy. No country has succeeded with levels of human development as low as that found in the majority of African countries today.

The Human Development (HD) family of the Africa region is responsible for helping SSA countries accelerate the development of their human resources. The SSA Human Development strategy is to improve the lives of Africa's population through access to quality education and health services, and through social protection interventions. The HD sector is organized into three sub-sectors: Education (EDU); Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP); and Social Protection (SP).

Education. The Bank is supporting the development of quality education programs in most countries in Africa. Our assistance includes: focus on quality primary education for all (EFA) by 2015; improving secondary, tertiary, technical & vocational education and education for orphans; addressing teacher and textbook shortages, and the interaction between HIV/AIDS and education.

Health, Nutrition & Population. Support to HNP is targeted to the reduction of communicable diseases among the poor (HIV/AIDS, malaria, Onchocerciasis (Riverblindness), TB, children's diseases); improving nutrition; increasing attention to population and reproductive health; and improving health systems through staffing reforms, pharmaceutical policy, and sustainable and equitable financing. The Bank's assistance strategy is focused on creating an enabling environment for providing cost-effective interventions that are best implemented by the development partners.

Social Protection. The areas of priority for SP support include: the development of social protection strategies; risk assessments; pension reform; and the implementation of safety nets for vulnerable groups. This work focuses on the protection of the elderly and poor; assisting orphans and the disabled; income support to households hurt by economic shocks; and prevention of critical shortfalls in consumption for poor households. The Social Protection strategy targets assistance to individuals, especially vulnerable children and youth, while scaling-up support to poor households and communities to manage income risks better.

Africa Human Development has a current portfolio of 94 projects with commitments over $4 billion. In addition to lending, AFTHD produces country analytical work, provides policy advice and works collaboratively with development partners to harmonize assistance to clients in Africa.

Contacts

Caroline Milad
Senior Executive Assistant
Human Development, Africa Region
The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
Email: cmilad@worldbank.org

Jee-Peng Tan
Education Advisor
Human Development, Africa Region
The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
Email: jtan@worldbank.org

Harold Alderman
Advisor, Social Protection
Human Development, Africa Region
The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
Email: halderman@worldbank.org

Agnes Soucat
Advisor, Health, Nutrition & Population
Human Development, Africa Region
The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
Email: asoucat@worldbank.org