From World Bank Research

World Bank Research E-Newsletter

-World Development Report 2009

Economic activity becomes increasingly concentrated with development. As this happens, substantial disparities in welfare can emerge between rural and urban areas, between leading and lagging regions within countries and, perhaps most dramatically, between countries in different parts of the world. The objective of the World Development Report (WDR) 2009 "Seeing Development in 3D" is to identify and understand the interactions between economic geography, growth, and living standards, and to draw the implications of these interactions for policy. WDR 2009 charts the changes in the three spatial dimensions of economic activity and household welfare: rising density, falling distance and persisting division. The WDR will highlight the dimensions and significance of spatial forces that shape economic development; and recommend policies to facilitate the spatial transformations necessary to sustain economic growth, reduce disparities in welfare, and reduce poverty. The report aims to reframe three important policy debates: on urbanization in developing countries; on territorial development policies; and on the pros and cons of regional integration.

Analyzing health equity using household survey data

Equity has long been considered an important goal in the health sector. Yet inequalities persist between poor people and those who are better off, with the poor tending to suffer higher rates of mortality. They also often tend to use health services less, despite having higher levels of need. A new book entitled “Analyzing Health Equity Using Household Survey Data” by O’Donnell, Doorslaer, Wagstaff, and Lindelow provides rigorous analytic techniques for both measurement and analysis of such inequalities, with a view to stimulating health equity research that can support the design and evaluation of health policies and programs. The book offers researchers and analysts a step-by-step practical guide to key analytic techniques in health equity analysis, with examples and computer code, mostly for the Stata program.