Growth in the developing East Asia and Pacific region slowed in the first half of 2019 given weakening global demand and heightened policy uncertainty amid ongoing trade tensions. Steady consumption growth helped to partly offset the effects of weakening exports and investment on growth. The region’s growth prospects face intensified downside risks, including further escalation of trade disputes, a sharper-than-expected slowdown in China, the United States and the Euro Area, along with a disorderly Brexit, and an abrupt change in global financing conditions. In some countries, rising indebtedness and other vulnerabilities, such as the constrained capacity for foreign debt rollover, could amplify the negative effects of external shocks. The regional growth moderation underscores the need to address key vulnerabilities and preserve economic dynamism among developing East Asia and Pacific economies. In the short run, countries with sufficient policy space should use available policy tools to stimulate domestic activities. Better quality spending, together with prudent debt management, is needed to safeguard fiscal sustainability. Deepening regional integration would help offset the negative impact of global protectionism. In the medium to long term, pursuing structural reforms that raise competitiveness, support trade and investment, and encourage innovation is critical to boosting productivity and growth.

The East Asia and Pacific Economic Update provides regular, biannual analyses of development trends and economic policy issues across the East Asia and Pacific region.

"Despite some financial turbulence, growth in developing East Asia and Pacific (EAP) was resilient during the first half of 2018. The growth outlook for the region remains positive. After peaking in 2017, growth in developing EAP is expected to slow modestly in 2018, as China's economic expansion continues to moderate. However, downside risks have significantly intensified. An escalation in trade tensions and heightened financial market turbulence, either due to an acceleration in U.S. monetary policy normalization or contagion from other emerging markets could threaten the region's growth prospects. To navigate uncertainty, developing EAP economies should reduce short-term vulnerabilities and enhance buffers, redouble their commitment to an open, rules-based international trade and investment framework, including through deeper regional economic integration, and deepen structural reforms. The intensification of risks underscores the need to continue to enhance economic security by investing in human capital and strengthen social assistance and insurance programs to increase households' resilience to systemic shocks."

In the past 6 months, developing East Asia and Pacific has faced a challenging external environment, but growth has generally remained resilient. Over the next 3 years, growth is expected to ease modestly. China will continue its gradual shift to a more sustainable growth path. Some economies will be affected by low commodity prices and weaker external demand. This outlook is subject to elevated risks. Countries should prioritize monetary and fiscal policies that reduce their exposure to risks and strengthen market confidence. In China, there is a need to reduce leverage. In several countries, action is required to enhance transparency, strengthen accountability, and redefine the role of the state. Efforts to reduce barriers to trade should be redoubled, with a particular focus on non-tariff measures and regulatory barriers, including to trade in services. The region must increase its readiness to benefit from the digital revolution, and in particular develop the essential “analog complements†? to digital technologies.

The World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update is a comprehensive, twice-yearly review of the region's economies prepared by the East Asia and Pacific region of the World Bank.

The Elgar Companion to The World Bank provides a comprehensive review of the past 80 years for this powerful development institution. Using different theoretical approaches from an expert group of scholars as well as practitioners, it presents an interdisciplinary exploration of the World Bank and the wider field of International Relations.

'The World Bank South Asia Economic Update 2010: Moving Up, Looking East' is the World Bank s comprehensive annual report on the region s economies. In this first edition, the Bank finds that South Asia s strong rebound since March 2009 is comparable to that in East Asia. Government policy, external support, resumption of private spending and global recovery are driving the rebound. Robust and timely policy interventions were, and continue to be, a key to confidence and recovery. South Asia s particular strengths and forms of global integration not the lack of it were the main factors that allowed greater resilience. As a special topic, the report examines and recommends three principal directions to reposition South Asia s trade and investment integration policies and profitably expand their domestic economies in both manufacturing and services.

Public discussion of global healthcare issues is dominated by those who believe that top-down, government-driven interventions are the solution to the myriad health problems suffered by people in less developed countries. This thinking is responsible for a plethora of harmful policies, ranging from a drive towards socialized healthcare systems, to calls for the centralization and semi-nationalization of pharmaceutical research and development, to impractical but grandiose UN-sponsored schemes for tackling HIV/AIDS and malaria.In spite of the abysmal track record of top-down approaches, non-governmental organizations and UN agencies continue to promote them, to the detriment of the private sector, economic development, and human health. The resulting politicization of diseases such as HIV/AIDS has led to a diversion of resources away from more easily treatable diseases that affect more people. Meanwhile, cost-effective and simple interventions such as vaccination are being subordinated to other more politically correct diseases.This centralizing mindset has also resulted in many governments in less developed countries attempting to plan and control universal healthcare systems, which has encouraged rationing, inequitable access, and entrenched corruption. It has also seriously undermined the effectiveness of overseas development aid. Moreover, the politicization of diseases such as HIV/AIDS has led to a diversion of resources away from more easily treatable diseases that affect more people. As a result, cost-effective and simple interventions are neglected by donors.There has to date been little public discussion of the role of markets and their underlying institutions--property rights and the rule of law--in improving human health. Economic growth and globalization has led to unprecedented improvements in human health. The challenge is to enable the poorest countries to take part more fully in this process. This work demonstrates how current