Multilateral development bank policy-based guarantees (PBGs) have long been an instrument in search of demand. First introduced in 1999 at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to help governments access market borrowing at attractive rates, their track-record has been uneven, an...

As one of the only truly global institutions, the World Bank is uniquely positioned to be the world’s premier source funding for global public goods. But despite its global coverage, the World Bank has never truly been oriented towards global challenges. Its mission has been defined primarily by ind...

The stakes are high for the African Development Fund (AfDF) as it kicks off its replenishment fundraising exercise this spring. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are still grappling with the health and economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis, with over 30 million of their citizens pushed into po...

This note takes a quick look at the lessons learned and the existing landscape of MCM manufacturing in the context of the current pandemic response and suggests eight areas for action along with near-term recommendations to the global community to both prepare and respond to future pandemic risks. 

While oral antivirals are not a substitute for vaccination, they are key to preventing severe illness, saving lives, and preserving health systems. Vaccination rates continue to be low in low-income countries; only 14 percent of the population in low-income countries has received one dose of the vac...

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the global vaccine manufacturing landscape, with capacity more than doubling in the past 18 months. Before the pandemic, manufacturers produced an estimated total of five billion vaccine doses each year. In 2021, manufacturers produced 12 billion doses of C...

Providing patients with high-quality essential medicines requires a well-functioning procurement, distribution, and regulatory system. However, in many low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), public sector supply chain performance is far from optimal, resulting in frequent stockouts at healt...