Who can’t afford to get ill? The missing target in the World Bank’s drive for Universal Health Coverage

Anna MarriottEvents, Health

With the bank poised to replenish funds to back expansion of healthcare among the world’s poorest people, it needs to measure what matters – and what matters is that billions are being forced into poverty and hardship by the costs of care. Anna Marriott, Rosemary Mburu, Harjyot Khosa and Waiswa Nkwanga on a critical omission from the Bank’s ‘IDA21’ policy package.

How billionaire ‘pollutocrats’ are driving our climate crisis – and what we can do about it

Nafkote DabiClimate Change, Inequality, Research

If everyone used private jets and superyachts like 50 of the world’s richest billionaires, the remaining carbon budget to stay within 1.5C would be burned up in just two days. Nafkote Dabi introduces Oxfam’s new climate report, which spells out how the emissions of the super-rich are driving inequality, hunger and heat-related deaths.

Governments across the globe are giving up on the fight against inequality: here’s what they should do instead…

Anthony KamandeEconomics, Inequality, Research

New Oxfam analysis shows global Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) has just hit a new low. Anthony Kamande shares insights from Oxfam’s biannual CRI report that ranks 164 countries’ policies – and offers three big policy changes that should be firmly on the agenda at this week’s World Bank/IMF annual meetings.

How the pregnancy penalty supercharges global inequality

Anthony KamandeGender, Rights, Women's Economic Empowerment

In a blog for International Women’s Day, new parent Anthony Kamande reflects on the heavy cost his partner and family have paid for the simple act of having a baby. The world, and especially its poorer countries, needs a pregnancy rights revolution, he says, and international funders such as the IMF must play their part.

It’s time for the World Bank to show it truly cares about unpaid care

Fiana ArbabGender, Influencing, Women's Economic Empowerment

The next funding cycle for the World Bank’s International Development Association could top $100bn – and, says Fiana Arbab, we must keep a close eye on the fraction of that being committed to transforming the lives of the billions of women doing care work.

After half a century of misguided policies, here’s how the World Bank and IMF can work for the poor…

Anthony KamandeDebt, Economics, Events

It’s time both the World Bank and IMF abandoned the short-term fixes and austerity that have repeatedly failed people in developing countries, says Anthony Kamande. With their joint annual meetings back on African soil for the first time in five decades, he sets out six ways both institutions can make real and lasting change: from debt restructuring to encouraging social spending and taxes on the wealthiest.

We need to talk about inequality in West Africa

Mohamadou Fadel DiopEconomics, Events, Inequality

As the African Union and regional economic communities gather to discuss their economies, the gulf between the rich and the rest in West Africa needs to be top of the agenda, says Mohamadou Fadel Diop – and that conversation must give serious attention to inequality-busting policies such as reversing austerity and debt cancellation.

Austerity is not the answer to Africa’s colliding crises: it’s time to invest massively in public services and decent jobs

Anthony KamandeDebt, Inequality, Research

Our continent faces droughts and spiking prices that are pushing millions into hunger and poverty, a debt crisis and the ongoing pandemic. So why are countries cutting billions in spending? Anthony Kamande introduces a new Oxfam Pan Africa briefing based on our index that scores governments on how committed they are to cutting inequality

People can’t afford to pay for health care in a pandemic. Why isn’t the World Bank doing more to help?

Anna MarriottHealth, Inequality

As the World Bank’s Annual Meetings kick-off virtually this week, the COVID-19 pandemic is still surging in many countries, killing people, destroying livelihoods and deepening inequalities. The World Bank’s health response has been lightning-fast (by donor standards) and important, with $6 billion in initial funding to help countries coping with the health impacts of the outbreak through its COVID-19 Fast …