PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST The Africa Human Capital Plan Year 3 Progress Report www.worldbank.org/ahcp August 2022 Acknowledgements Contents This report was produced by the Office of the Regional Directors for Human Development in the Africa Region under the guidance of Amit Dar and Dena Ringold. The writing team for this progress report was led by Enó Isong and Somya Bajaj. Valuable contributions to the report were provided by Fanen Ade, Arlette Fotso, Maria Gracheva, Stanislas Honkuy, Junko Onishi, This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, Our Mission 3 VP Reflections 4 Soazic Elise Sonne, and Jozefien Van Damme. Comments were received from Francisca Ayo and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of Akala, Anne Bakilana, Tekabe Belay, Paolo Belli, Christian Bodewig, Robert Chase, Carine Clert, The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance Amit Dar, Halil Dundar, Safaa El-Kogali, Ramesh Govindaraj, Rebekka Grun, Magnus Lindelow, of such boundaries. All dollar amounts are US dollars unless otherwise indicated. Ernest Massiah, Muna Meky, Meskerem Mulatu, Patrick Mullen, Elizabeth Ninan, Emre Ozaltin, Our Progress Dhushyanth Raju, Dena Ringold, Christophe Rockmore, Yevgeniya Savchenko, Gaston Sorgho, Rights and Permissions: The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Inaam Ul Haq, Andrea Vermehren, and Waly Wane. Administrative and logistical support was provided by Saïda Gall and Tigist Yimer. The report was edited by Leslie Ashby and Enó Isong. Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for non-commercial purposes. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202-522-2625; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. 7 The digital and print publication was produced and designed by Elkanodata. © Photo Credits: By Confidence (Report cover), Sofiya Kozi (Page 2), World Bank / Stephan Gladieu (Page 8), References: Africa Human Capital Plan: Powering Africa’s Potential Through Its People; Africa Human Capital Plan: Deep Dives; Africa’s Pulse, No. 25, April 2022; World Bank Open Data; World Bank Support for Country Access to COVID-19 Vaccines; WHO The Global Health Observatory; World Bank HCI 2020 Our Numbers 9 Our Stories 13 World Bank / Erick Kaglan (Page 9), World Bank / Kelley Lynch (Page 16), ACE - AAU TV Team (Page 27), ACE - AAU TV Team (Page 28), World Bank / Vincent Tremeau (Page 30), GlobalDev (Page 30), World Bank / Sarah Farhat (Page 32, 38), World Bank / Vincent Tremeau (Page 36) Knowledge Exchange and Activities 31 Our Way Forward 37 Results Framework 40 Copyright © 2022 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development THE WORLD BANK Washington DC 20433 Telephone: +1-202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org C O N T E N T S Our Mission Invest in people, empower lives 7 Gamechangers to Advance In April 2019, we launched the Africa Human Capital Plan (HCP) centered on a set of gamechangers and Human Capital Development ambitious targets to be achieved by 2023. We are working to decrease child mortality, stunting, and adolescent fertility rates and to increase learning Increasing World Bank financing outcomes, social protection coverage, sanitation for human capital in Africa practices, and Human Capital Index scores. Assumptions made three years ago have been validated. Preventing and reversing damage to human The Africa HCP provides a strong framework to address capital in settings affected by fragility, conflict, emergency response and inclusive recovery efforts and violence as we take on COVID-19, climate change, and other compounding crises that threaten to erode the human Rallying World Bank country teams and partners capital of an entire generation. around the human capital agenda to enable comprehensive cross-sectoral solutions at scale We continue to galvanize resources and foster multisectoral collaboration to strengthen social service Accelerating the demographic transition by empowering women and girls delivery systems, empower women and girls, and embrace digital and climate-smart solutions. In just three years, the World Bank’s commitments in human Leveraging technology and innovations development operations in Africa have reached an in projects to further human capital historic $34 billion. Our mission has never been more urgent. We are Supporting policy reforms to overcome legal focused on prioritizing investments in key social sector and regulatory constraints determinants to improve human capital outcomes and economic growth in Africa, because every man, woman, and child should be equipped to realize their Advancing research and advocacy to strengthen full human capital potential as productive members of the knowledge base and the demand side their communities. of human capital 2 O U R M I S S I O N 3 VP Reflections Victoria Kwakwa “The past two years have made one thing going forward. Only with greater equality in access to “Women are a force for economic growth World Bank Regional Vice President services and greater resilience in systems, whether for clear: development is not only a question education or health care or social protection, will we and job creation in Africa. Advancing Eastern and Southern Africa ——— of economic growth, it is also a question be able to ensure that the next shock or next pandemic gender equality is smart economics, does not cause the same disruption. As challenges In parallel, the world is facing a climate crisis. Women of supporting people to fulfil their full sound business practice, and an essential are increasingly being recognized as more vulnerable accumulate — from conflict to climate change to potential, what we call protecting and inflation to increasing racial and social inequalities, development policy.” to the effects of climate change as they constitute the we need to continue to look for solutions that secure majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent investing in people. Advancing human ——— on natural resources. human development. Using our tools and know-how potential, the skills, knowledge and health to support all people, especially the poorest and the As part of the Africa Human Capital Plan, we are focused When women and men have equal opportunities to on ensuring safe and equitable access to social services of people is now front and center of the most vulnerable, throughout their life cycle, is what shape their own lives and contribute to their families, and opportunities for girls and women and eliminating makes our contribution more important than ever development agenda.” before. communities, and the economy, countries experience harmful social norms through policy reforms and enhanced productivity and improved development community engagement. We have an opportunity now ——— outcomes, while businesses and institutions perform — and we are seizing it — to fix systems, practices, and Mamta Murthi better. Since the Africa HCP began, we have committed funding to build a more inclusive, resilient recovery. World Bank Vice President As we continue to focus on the huge set-back to Human Development over $11.5 billion to new projects that promote gender human capital from COVID-19, which has caused equality at home, school, and work. We are investing Hafez Ghanem disruptions at all the different stages of the life cycle, in women and girl’s health, education, and economic World Bank Regional Vice President from children’s early years losses from being out of empowerment, as well as a first generation of projects Eastern and Southern Africa (July 2020 to July 2022) school and out of work, to many deaths among the that supports human capital policy reform. This work is elderly, especially men, the pandemic also made all the more critical in the face of COVID-19, which has stark the need to focus on equality and resilience ——— disproportionately impacted the schooling, employment, and domestic lives of women and girls. ——— 4 V P R E F L E C T I O N S V P R E F L E C T I O N S 5 Our Progress Investing and preserving Africa’s human capital The Africa HCP has set clear targets and commitments Human Capital Index (HCI) – survival, schooling, and by 2023 to boost and accelerate scaled up financing for health – all have direct links to the UN Sustainable human capital, expand support across development Development Goals, and measure how well countries sectors, and leverage policy and results-based human invest in their next generation of workers. capital reforms. The components of the World Bank’s Africa HCP Goals by 2023 Long-Term Outcome Indicators Baseline 2018 2022* Target 2023 (average for Sub-Saharan Africa) “The young people of Africa need prospects Through the Africa Human Capital Project, we are Reduce the under-5 mortality rate 75 73 1 45 helping countries turn commitments to education (per 1,000 live births) saving 4 million lives (2017) and hope to build their future at home.” into action. We actively support the improvements in Reduce the stunting rate of all children, 32% 31.70% 2 26% the quality of education accessible by our youth and saving 10.9 million children from stunting ——— make it more accessible at all levels. We emphasize Increase overall adult survival rate 0.73 data unavailable 0.81 inclusiveness to ensure that girls in rural or fragile areas through improved prevention and stronger health systems The rise of the knowledge economy, rapid developments are not left behind. While we teach our children to be Increase learning-adjusted years of school 4.94 4.96 3 5.88 in technology, and the growing impact of climate resilient, their education systems must be as well. A change, all necessitate a quality education for our Increase social protection coverage of the poorest 20% data unavailable 30% good education can turn a child into a lifelong learner, economic quintile in low-income countries, citizens. An education that reflects the changing global reaping benefits for themselves and their communities adding coverage for 13.1 million people landscape is our best tool to meet the aspirations of our well beyond the classroom. We are making smart and Reduce the adolescent fertility rate 101 98 4 83 young people and their parents. effective investments in people’s education to develop (births per 1,000 women age 15 to 19 years) the human capital that will end extreme poverty and The Africa of tomorrow is built in our schools today. Reduce open defecation 22.9% (2015) 18% 5 15% deliver on the promise of shared prosperity in Africa. Progress has been made, but millions of children in Increase future productivity by 13% 0.40 0.40 6 0.45 Sub-Saharan Africa still remain out of school or cannot by improving on the Human Capital Index score Ousmane Diagana read and comprehend a simple text by the time they World Bank Regional Vice President, * 2020 most recent year available reach the age of 11. Our countries are facing learning Western and Central Africa ——— crises that are exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 1 https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.DYN.MORT?locations=ZG - World Bank Open Data crisis. 2 https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/gho-jme-stunting-prevalence - WHO The Global Health Observatory 3 https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/human-capital - World Bank HCI 2020 4 https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.ADO.TFRT?locations=ZG - World Bank Open Data 5 https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.ODFC.ZS?locations=ZG - World Bank Open Data ——— 6 https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/human-capital - World Bank HCI 2020 6 V P R E F L E C T I O N S O U R P R O G R E S S 7 Our Numbers While efforts of investing and preserving Africa’s better long-term outcomes. The IDA20 (International human capital have been impacted and threatened by Development Association) special theme on human recent multiple overlapping global crises – including capital positions us well for the next stepped-up phase Scaling up financing the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine-Russia conflict, of the Africa HCP. climate change-induced natural disasters, and regional armed conflicts – slow and uneven progress has been The COVID-19 pandemic has not only made the process made towards achieving these target goals (where of assessing and tracking progress very challenging, data is available). As we assess our progress to date, it is clear there remains a lot of work to be done in order to achieve the HCI targets of the AFR HCP Plan by it has also highlighted the importance of leveraging accurate and comprehensive data and evidence to make policy decisions. Improving and strengthening for human capital in Africa 2023. Revisiting the targets in the new post-COVID the quality, timeliness, and relevance of national data reality presents an opportunity to reassess priorities collection systems is critical. Data as of end FY2022 (June 2022) and interventions and apply lessons learned to ensure Scaling-up financing and resources for human capital in the Africa Region remains a key gamechanger of the Africa HCP, and a core commitment of the World Bank Group. By the end of FY22, the total World Bank’s Africa human development portfolio includes 232 health, education, and social protection projects worth $34.3 billion. This represents 79 human development projects totaling $8.2 billion approved in FY22 alone. The human capital agenda is central to our COVID-19 recovery response and country dialogue, focusing on improving critical outcomes using multi-sectoral approaches that ensure sustainable financing, strengthened social ser vices deliver y systems using technology and innovation, and accelerated demographic transition efforts. 8 O U R P R O G R E S S O U R N U M B E R S 9 $34.3 billion Continuing to exceed the Africa HCP annual $8.2 billion Steady growth since the Africa HCP launched in 2019 investment goal World Bank human development World Bank’s human development portfolio in Africa supports health, education, and social protection, and jobs. For the last three years, the Africa HCP has exceeded its financing in Africa in FY22 It has experienced steady growth since the Africa HCP launched in 2019. annual investment goal of $5 billion. FY22 represents the 2nd highest for the Africa human development group. 118 $8.96 B 250 $40.00 $8.2 B $7.8 B 232 223 $34.3 200 196 $30.56 $30.00 79 $5B Annual Target 74 150 158 $25.65 Number of Operations 153 $21.1 $20.00 New Projects $18.9 100 Financing 44 $3.3 B $10.00 US$ bn 50 0 $0.00 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 $11.5 billion 9 out of 10 New investments championing women and girls World Bank development policy operations in Africa in Africa since the launch of the AFR HCP in FY22 support reforms that bolster human capital 10 O U R N U M B E R S O U R N U M B E R S 11 Africa human development investments World Bank FY22 lending on human development Our Impact Putting human capital Education on the map 23.5% Health, Nutrition $1.9 B We continue to sustain momentum on the Africa social protection, and jobs, to improving services and & Population AFR HD HCP, working closely with governments, development infrastructure, and providing water, sanitation, and 44.4% 41% partners, civil society organizations, the private sector, and multiple stakeholders to pave the way for reliable digital connectivity, our human capital projects focus on saving lives and livelihoods, and protecting Social short-, medium- and long-term development goals the vulnerable, while at the same time strengthening $3.6 B Protection for ending extreme poverty and promoting shared efforts for economic growth. & Jobs prosperity. From investing in health, education, 32.1% $2.6 B Investments are being implemented Over 40% of the World Bank’s total human across key social sectors. development portfolio is focused on Africa. The World Bank’s EASTERN & SOUTHERN AFRICA REGION – AFE The WESTERN & CENTRAL AFRICA REGION – AFW – is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 – is home to about half a billion people and encompasses 22 countries countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good that spread across semi- arid areas in the Sahel, large coastal areas on Hope in the South and home to about 700 million of Africa’s people. the Atlantic Ocean, and along the Gulf of Guinea. 12 O U R N U M B E R S O U R I M P A C T 13 32 countries have joined the World Bank’s Human Capital Project The Africa HCP is a catalyst for a wide range of projects, analytical work, cross-sector collaborations, knowledge-sharing, and innovations investing in Africa’s people. 26 countries 8 countries have an explicit human capital or human have developed their own development pillar in their Country Human Capital Plans Partnership Framework with the World Bank 18 countries 13 countries are implementing development policy have cross-sectoral women operations with a human capital pillar and girls empowerment projects 16 countries 15 countries have benefitted from human capital reviews having conducted human capital to identify their specific human capital workshops and seminars challenges and opportunities 25 countries have benefitted from public expenditure reviews with a human development focus 14 O U R I M P A C T O U R I M P A C T 15 Our Stories Adaptive Social Protection: Building resilience to shocks Social protection programs are a proven way to get Expanding and diversifying social protection programs people out of poverty, improve their education and beyond safety nets serve as a platform for equity, health, and support them in times of shock and crisis. opportunity, resilience, and jobs, and helps strengthen The 2022 Africa Pulse reports that Sub-Saharan Africa economic resilience and responsiveness to shocks, has seen a remarkable expansion in access to social particularly for vulnerable populations and households. safety net programs over the past two decades with, just This includes social insurance, savings and labor market prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 45 countries in the programs that contribute to economic resilience, build region having introduced social safety net programs to human capital, promote more productive and shock tackle chronic poverty. resilient livelihoods, and deliberately engage women to advance their empowerment. In view of the pressing challenges posed by rapidly increasing urbanization and informality and increasing vulnerability to shocks, social protection systems in Africa can diversify the objectives and instruments to enhance protection for all, including women and girls. 16 O U R S T O R I E S 17 Zambia: Giving a hand up “The World Bank estimates that, globally, 36% of very poor people have escaped not handout extreme poverty because of such social safety nets,” In Zambia, families are benefitting from cash transfers and programs that support women’s livelihoods and Sahr Kpundeh, keep girls in school — all supported by the World World Bank Country Manager for Zambia. Bank’s Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) Project. “Evaluations internationally and in Zambia also show that poor families invest more in health and education GEWEL is providing a hand-up out of poverty for Using money from the SCT, Subeta has managed to because of this support, therefore if SCT is used wisely, hundreds of thousands of people. Cash transfers build a small trading shop, and has plans to build a small it has great potential to help people escape from have helped families feed and educate their children. house and renting it out to earn more income. extreme poverty.” says World Bank’s Sahr Kpundeh. Primary school attendance is up by 10%. Families have increased the land they farm by 18%, maize production Looking at how much the SCT, a program available Stella Zulu, a 58-year-old woman from Chisoni Village, by 8%, and their livestock by 21%. Support is enabling t h rough t he  Gi rls E duc at ion a nd Women's Nyimba District, has become an entrepreneur with men and women to start small businesses and keep Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) Project, has support from SWL.  their children in school for longer. helped in growing her business, Subeta is encouraging other SCT beneficiaries to invest the money they receive Before Subeta Nkumba, was enrolled in the social cash into businesses and other income generating activities. transfer (SCT) plan in Siavonga District, Southern province, the 53-year-old widow could not afford to All over the world, including in Zambia, social protection feed her family three meals per day. programs are a proven way to get people out of poverty, “If it was not for KGS, it would have improve their education and health, and support them been very difficult for me to complete But since she started receiving benefits in 2017, a lot has in producing more, to help themselves and the economy. changed in her life. secondary education because my family A new World Bank-produced photobook, A Hand-up, could not afford,” not a Hand-out, showcases beneficiaries through their “When I started receiving this money, voices and stories which bring the GEWEL project Rose Tembo, I didn’t want to use it for unproductive to life. The book highlights beneficiaries under the Beneficiary under KGS things, but decided to invest Supporting Women’s Livelihoods program (SWL), Keeping Girls in School (KGS) program and SCT. Social protection programs such as GEWEL are “I never thought I could run my own in my small business,’’ becoming increasingly important as Zambians endure business,” Stella said. “But because of the Girls such as Rose Tembo, a beneficiary under KGS, a multiple shocks such as back-to-back droughts and Subeta Nkumba, beneficiary of the SWL program. For Rose, the support the negative effects of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) three weeks training in life and business Business Owner from GEWEL helped her to complete high school and pandemic. skills, and belonging to Titukuke Savings is now a student at North End University. It is estimated that 58% of Zambians were poor by 2020. Group, I’ve been able to buy cement to This means that 2.3 million more Zambian people fell build a house/grocery shop.” into poverty on top of the 8.4 million that were already poor in 2015, increasing the number of people needing Stella Zulu social protection. 18 O U R S T O R I E S O U R S T O R I E S 19 Our Stories To date, 95,000 women have been reached under the The Government of Zambia recognizes the importance SWL and over 58,000 girls reached under KGS. of social protection in its vision and strategies for reducing poverty and improving development. These COVID-19 vaccines: commitments are reinforced in the National Social “GEWEL is a cash plus social protection Protection Policy and its framework, which provide program that supports the poorest families a strong rationale for a scaled-up and well-financed in Zambia with cash transfers, empowers social protection sector, including government’s girls from those families to complete their secondary education, and supports partnership with cooperating partners to implement the Girls Education and Women's Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) project. A path for recovering women in starting their own small human capital +973,000 businesses. So far, the project has shown positive contribution to reducing poverty in Zambia,” For most of 2021, the binding constraint to vaccinations In Sub-Saharan Africa:* families received cash transfer in in Africa was the supply of vaccines, as African countries were relying on supplies produced outside the Emma Hobson, World Bank Senior Social Protection Specialist and Task Team Leader 2021 — 25% of Zambia’s population, region. Even as supplies became increasingly available, Population that have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine: 23.24% (257.6 million people). with plans to reach 30% in 2022 countries needed financing support to procure them. • AFE: 25.94% (171.4 million people) The World Bank, in an Africa-led effort in partnership with COVAX and the African Union’s Africa Vaccine +59,000 • AFW: 19.25% (86.2 million people) Acquisition Trust (AVAT), is helping to accelerate the procurement of vaccine doses for millions. In FY22, our regional country programs deployed $2.7 Population fully vaccinated: 18.08% (200.4 million) girls in 39 districts have received billion supporting 34 COVID-19 vaccination projects in Africa , focused on vaccine procurement and support to cover the cost of their accelerated roll out, enabling affordable and equitable • AFE: 21.06% (139.2 million people) access to vaccines needed to reverse the pandemic’s secondary school education health, social, and economic impact. • AFW: 13.69% (61.3 million people) The African Union has set a target to vaccinate 60 * as of July 2022 75,000 percent of the continent’s population by 2022. Vaccines remain one of our most important tools for countries to get on the path to recovery, strengthen their health women have received livelihood systems, and improve disease outbreak prevention and preparedness infrastructures and programs. support, including savings groups, life and business skills training, and productive grants 20 O U R S T O R I E S O U R S T O R I E S 21 Cabo Verde: Boosting the vaccine roll out: “I lost my grandmother to COVID last year because my aunt did not want her mother Alice and her team regularly tour the remote mountain villages on the island, sometimes walking for more than 12 hours over tough terrain to deliver lifesaving +70% to get vaccinated. I was devastated. This shots to residents in some of the most faraway places. of Cabo Verde’s adult population A nurse’s story should not have happened,” Recently, Alice concluded the end of a treacherous hike is vaccinated, the third highest to the remote hamlet of Faja in Domingos Benta on “It’s as if I had ‘vaccination’ written on my Alice says. This tragic event fueled her drive to vaccinate the volcanic island of Santa Antao, where she had just coverage against COVID-19 forehead.” her entire community. vaccinated an elderly man against COVID-19.   She had finally succeeded in convincing him to get his second in Sub-Saharan Africa Alice Bentoub, shot. Her face radiated with pure happiness and a sense Nurse of purpose. Her passion is contagious. Tourism is a lifeline for Cabo Verde, generating 25% of its GDP and 23% of formal jobs. When COVID-19 hit, Cabo Verde closed its borders to prevent the virus from Today, 100% of the adult population of her community in Ribeira Gran in Santo Antao is fully vaccinated. With the people of Cabo Verde getting vaccinated, the island 27% spreading. The move took a toll on people’s lives and nation has succeeded in reopening and positioning itself jump in vaccination coverage livelihoods. Tourism suddenly stopped and many Cabo Verdeans lost their job. as a safe tourist destination. The story of Cabo Verde would have turned out very differently if hundreds of occurred with the launch of News about a vaccine gave hope for the summer season individuals like Tia Alice had not stepped up to support the COVID-19 response.  a digital health pass, making of 2021, but getting vaccines to more than 400,000 people spread across 10 islands was no small endeavor. it mandatory to show proof of "The vaccine was the hope. It was the only Thanks to a strong health system and a sound supply vaccination to access venues strategy, Cabo Verde has become a model for COVID-19 solution to get back to a normal life." response. It has much to teach its neighbors on how to carry out vaccination campaigns. Edson Oliveria, When the pandemic first struck, Cabo Verde was one of the world's first countries to close its borders, owner of SunVincent Tours $15 million hoping this would be a temporary crisis. Driven by from IDA has helped the shutdown in the tourism sector, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 14.8 % in 2020 – one of the “As a health worker, you have to show Cabo Verde purchase largest reductions in Africa. ‘ humanism,’ listen to people, respect them and deploy vaccines for Alice Bentoub is a 44-year-old nurse, with more as human beings, and be sensitive to their than 20 years of experience, all of it dedicated to the point of view. You need to enter into their at least 400,000 people health of her community. Alice was the first person to get vaccinated on the island. She is known as “Tia” or world to convince them and explain that “Aunty Alice” in her community, where everyone knows vaccination saves lives.”  and trusts her. 22 O U R S T O R I E S O U R S T O R I E S 23 São Tomé and Príncipe: Solar-powered cold chain Our Stories key to achieving last mile vaccination The Sahel: Sustainable São Tomé and Príncipe (STP), a two-island nation, is a hidden gem that glistens and floats off the coast of solutions for people, West Africa. A Portuguese-speaking archipelago with a population of 220,000 individuals, of which 96% live on the island of São Tomé and the other 4% on the island climate, and infrastructure of Principe, STP is a small and insular state that faces Cradle of a remarkable cultural heritage and land of Together with partners including the Sahel Alliance challenges accessing a range of resources, particularly opportunity, with a rich and dynamic population, the and the United Nations, the World Bank Group is medical resources. This has had a direct impact on Sahel region, situated on the belt of land below the providing financial support to the G5 Sahel countries the health sector, as limited inputs affect the quality Sahara Desert that stretches from Africa’s Atlantic Coast - Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, of health services available to its population. This is to the Red Sea, was historically known for its pastoral notably through IDA, to support conflict prevention, further compounded by sparse human resources on Program (HEPR Program), which provided the country way of living, aided by abundant human and natural resilience, and emergency responses. the island, let alone those with specialized skills.   with the flexibility to use the resources for not only resources. However, due to increasing insecurity, the COVID-specific investments, but just as importantly, number of people fleeing violence in the region has The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented for interventions that also have a longer-term vision quadrupled, with 2 million now displaced in their challenge and stress on São Tomé’s health system. of strengthening the overall health system. Thanks own country. With temperatures rising 1.5 times Thanks to World Bank support, the country rapidly to their innovations, STP has been able to establish faster than in the rest of the world, the Sahel region is purchased 72,000 Moderna doses through the COVAX a climate-friendly vaccine storage warehouse, an highly affected by climate change and fragility, which facility and 80,000 Johnson and Johnson doses through integral element of a responsive health system for better undermine food security, long-term development the African Union Advanced Vaccine Task Force (AU- preparedness for future health emergencies.    prospects, and opportunities for the next generation. AVAT) platform, allowing the government to vaccinate 55% of the eligible population as of June 22, 2022.  To further support STP in its climate-friendly approach While the changing climate, combined with decades and energy-efficient investments, the country will of conflict and rapid population growth,  were To reach some São Tomé’s most remote and isolated receive additional support of approximately $1 million already straining available resources, the COVID-19 population, the Ministr y of Health turned to from the Energy Sector Management Assistance pandemic has pushed people farther into a cycle of innovation. This included purchasing and installing Program (ESMAP). A feasibility study is currently poverty. More than 11 million people living in the Sahel solar direct drive solutions which consist of several underway to assess the country’s capacity to introduce face the threat of famine and 40% of children under the vaccine refrigerators and freezers directly connected small, electric vehicles as part of the logistics supply age of five are stunted.  to solar panels, and do not use batteries and regulators. chain to distribute vaccines and essential medicines.  In These solutions provided São Tomé with a reliable cold addition to the electric vehicles, ESMAP’s support will The World Bank’s Sahel strategy aims to protect and chain for vitally important vaccines even in the most also finance the installation of solar panels and energy preserve the region’s human capital by addressing remote areas as they rely on the source of energy not efficiency retrofitting of warehouses which provide these compounding problems to deliver results at lacking in São Tomé – the sun!  immunization services. To complement this, the Green scale around three interdependent areas – climate, Climate Fund has selected STP as one of only nine people, and infrastructure – and investing in their More than half of the resources from the World countries to receive support for the purchase of cold capacity to prepare for, cope with, and adapt to shocks Bank’s additional support came from the  Heath storage equipment such as refrigerators and freezers to and crises. Emergency Preparedness and Response Umbrella enhance the country’s cold chain capacity. 24 O U R S T O R I E S O U R S T O R I E S 25 Responding to the food and Our Stories of the government’s COVID-19 Emergency Action Plan. The $30 million helped 430,000 people through nutrition crisis in the Sahel food distribution. It also supported 20,000 smallholder Empowering the next farmers with seeds and equipment. Making investments in early childhood In Mali, the World Bank is supporting the government’s development, including nutrition, is one Emergency Response Plan and the Mali Drylands of the most cost-effective development actions to yield permanent and Development Project, thus activating its emergency response component. The emergency operation was implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP), generation of Africa’s inalienable benefits, fostering and enhancing human capital accumulation which distributed food vouchers to 153,000 households, thereby covering 4 months of basic food needs. In Niger, the World Bank is supporting various scientists and job creation. programs to help address this crisis through the Agriculture and Livestock Transformation and the The World Bank has responded to the food and nutrition Climate-Smart Agriculture Support Projects. Project crisis in the Sahel by addressing food emergencies and activities include: (i) increasing food production and structural challenges in the West African food system, enhancing food system resilience to climate change thus contributing to international objectives such as the (with climate-smart agriculture, irrigation, access to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, specifically SDG inputs and services) ($111 million); and (ii) improving 2) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. farmers’ access to finance and markets ($100 million). The food security crisis in the Sahel is expected to be The World Bank is addressing food and nutritional a protracted one. The war in Ukraine is expected to security in the short-term by activating emergency further exacerbate the situation by increasing global response to support food and humanitarian assistance. food prices, thereby driving an additional 7 to 10 Over the medium- to long-term, it is supporting million people in West Africa into a situation of food smallholder farmers as follows: insecurity. This poses an exceptional challenge for In Burkina Faso, the World Bank supported the countries that are already fiscally stressed and heavily government’s emergency response through governance, indebted. To prevent the recurrence of food insecurity social development, and agriculture projects. Support episodes, it is imperative to invest in resilience. was focused on strengthening the country’s social safety nets (with $156 million in financing), as well as Further short-term relief and medium-term measures are on building the resilience of its food system (with $100 planned, including cash and food transfers, nutritionally million in financing). Activities related to the food balanced rations through food distribution programs, Increased productivity, economic diversification, and The ACE for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) system include the support of cash transfers to the as well as investments in the next season’s production. structural reforms across Africa require more highly at Redeemer’s University in Nigeria is using its project poorest communities, income-generating activities, as However, in the long-term, the Bank will help the skilled and employable graduates, particularly in key funds, knowledge base, and collaboration with internal well as access to seeds and fertilizers by farmers. Sahelian countries address the underlying causes of fields related to science, technology, engineering, and and external researchers to counter immediate health food and nutritional insecurity in the Sahel by taking a mathematics (STEM), as well as health and agriculture. threats like COVID-19 and to detect and respond to In Chad, the World Bank activated the emergency broader food-system approach. The Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence future outbreaks. ACEGID is working to train a critical response components of the Climate Resilience (ACE) Project is helping universities in 11 countries mass of scientists capable of using genomics-based tools Agriculture and Productivity Enhancement and the improve the quality, quantity, and development impact to monitor, control, and eliminate infectious diseases. Rural Mobility and Connectivity Projects in support of postgraduate education. 26 O U R S T O R I E S O U R S T O R I E S 27 “We can’t always wait for the Westernized Africa’s scientific solutions The ACEGID partnered with an information technology company to rapidly diagnose viruses and The ACEGID will inaugurate the biggest genomics research center in Africa. Further, it was selected in countries to come in and solve our and innovation in the fight develop vaccines. It has developed a free, web-based May 2020 by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard problems for us. We are not deficient when self-screening tool available in English, as well as the University to be a part of a prestigious scientific coalition it comes to manpower or intelligence. Why against COVID-19 different languages spoken in Nigeria, to assesses user that will help establish an early warning system across symptoms and exposure to determine their risk. It also the region to prevent and respond to future outbreaks, not utilize what we have to solve our own developed a diagnostic care kit that identifies a wide including epidemics and pandemics. This represents a range of viruses using a paper strip, producing the timely opportunity in the efforts to defeat COVID-19. problems?" The ACEGID is actively forming and strengthening results in 30 minutes. Finally, the ACEGID developed a network of national, regional, and global partners a COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which showed over 90 Grace Sename Peter PhD Candidate in Environmental Microbiology, ACEGID to promote and protect public health by establishing percent effectiveness during preclinical trials. in-country genome sequencing capacity in Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. It will also train The ACEGID was also at the forefront of research +500 ACEGID students personnel in these countries. during the Ebola outbreak, and led the response to Ebola and Lassa Fever. Sequencing the first case of Ebola In collaboration with the Nigeria CDC, the ACEGID was in Nigeria, the ACEGID contributed to containing the +500 local and regional postgraduate the first institution in Africa to successfully sequence epidemic through the development of rapid diagnostic and short-term students, 33% women, genomes for the SARS-Cov-2. Since then, it has test kits. It developed and patented two rapid diagnostic identified 55 variants of the virus, including the B.1.1.7 test kits for the Ebola and Lassa Fever viruses, providing supported at ACEGID since 2014 (United Kingdom) variant discovered in December for a diagnosis of the disease in 10 minutes. 2020, and it has tested more than 42,000 samples from Nigeria. It has also partnered with the Nigeria CDC to Since 2014, over 1,000 students have completed train frontline health personnel in Polymerase Chain post-graduate degrees and short-term training +480 people trained Reaction (PCR) diagnostic techniques, as well as the programs at the ACEGID in Microbiology, Pharmacy, nationwide transportation of samples. As a result of Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology and Genomics, and these achievements, the ACEGID has been mandated the Sanger Sequencing Technique. This was achieved +480 students, health care professionals, by the Africa CDC to sequence all samples from African since the center began receiving support under the Union member states that lack sequencing capacities. ACE series. In addition, the ACEGID’s academic staff and faculty members trained through Additionally, the ACEGID sequenced 216 COVID-19 have published over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, ACEGID short-term courses “My experience at ACEGID helped me samples from Cameroon. including publications in the prestigious international to understand standard laboratory journal Nature. In September 2020, the World Health Organization procedures and safety protocols better. They were the first things that I applied (WHO) named the ACEGID as one of two specialized continental reference sequencing research laboratories The ACE Impact Projects were designed to ensure that universities would continue to grow beyond the projects’ +200 publications for emerging pathogens, including the SARS-CoV-2. lifetime. As such, efforts are being made to build the when I returned to Liberia, and I shared In collaboration with the Nigeria CDC, the ACEGID universities’ capacity to generate external revenues and +200 peer-reviewed journal articles with my team here. These have helped us a has contributed to data for policymakers by proactively develop key partnerships within their sectors. Since the countering misinformation with quality data. It has 2020 outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the field published by ACEGID’s academic staff, lot as we work on COVID-19 samples.” also provided awareness messages about COVID-19 of genomics is rapidly growing in Africa. Importantly, including in the prestigious international preventive measures, which have helped the this growth has been spearheaded by the ACEGID. Also, Lawrence S. Fakoli III Government of Nigeria to make policy decisions to some of the tools being developed by the Center have journal Nature Master of Science Student, ACEGID and Research Associate, Division of Public Health and Medical Research, National Public Health Institute flatten the infection curve. the potential for commercialization, which will raise of Liberia more revenues for the ACEGID. 28 O U R S T O R I E S O U R S T O R I E S 29 Knowledge Exchange and Activities This year, the Africa HCP has maintained and In April 2022, as part of our Annual Spring Meetings, strengthened its commitment in advancing knowledge the AFW Vice Presidency convened a ministerial-level products that help countries and development roundtable event for an ongoing dialogue on how to stakeholders to prioritize resource use and execute build shared commitment and political will for greater evidenced-based solutions for sustainable human investments in preparedness and health systems in development outcomes. Our knowledge and learning the region. The Health, Nutrition, and Population products – which span countries, regions, and sectors (HNP) task team is currently preparing an ASA aimed – include our advisory services and analytics (ASA) at catalyzing and supporting a policy dialogue and products which offer technical assistance, through operational engagement that stimulates more and research and analysis, for stronger development better investments in health systems and emergency objectives and strategies; data to monitor progress preparedness. toward development goals as well as help inform evidence-based policy making and reforms; and In June 2022, the Africa HCP team hosted a virtual knowledge sharing and exchange platforms for Knowledge Exchange Forum – Strengthening Human disseminating lessons learned and best practices on the Capital in Africa in a Context of Multiple Crises and global development agenda. Fragilities – focused on exchange of ideas and solutions on emerging crises and conflicts. Topic areas included Working together with governments, partners, and financing and governance challenges; boosting stakeholders, our community of practice serves as a women empowerment; pandemic preparedness and viable platform for shared goals for protecting and resilient health systems; tackling learning losses; and preserving Africa’s human capital. maximizing social protection. Twenty countries from across Sub-Saharan Africa participated in the Forum, with an audience including government Ministers and Directors from ministries of Finance & Planning, Health, Education, Social Protection, and Women Affairs, plus development partners and stakeholders. Broader exchange forums on climate, digital, and financing, are being proposed for the coming months. Wallpaper series posters on social protection, education, and investing in people. 30 K N O W L E D G E E X C H A N G E A N D A C T I V I T I E S K N O W L E D G E E X C H A N G E A N D A C T I V I T I E S 31 Wallpaper series posters on social protection, education, and investing in people. Publications APRIL 2022 | VOLUME 25 AN ANALYSIS OF ISSUES SHAPING AFRICA’S ECONOMIC FUTURE Public Disclosure Authorized AFRICA HUMAN CAPITAL PROJECT April 2022 Assessing the Damage Early Evidence on Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis on Girls and Women in Africa At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was global concern about the negative indirect impacts the crisis would have on girls and women Public Disclosure Authorized and their human capital. Two years into the crisis, this brief summarizes the evidence to date on how the prediction of a shadow crisis has played out in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)1.The brief is intended as a call to action for policymakers, since available research sets off multiple alarm bells. It also proposes urgent policy responses. World Bank Support for Country Public Disclosure Authorized Access to COVID-19 Vaccines What we know is only (ongoing) the tip of the iceberg BOOSTING RESILIENCE: THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL PROTECTION IN AFRICA Boosting Resilience Through Evidence to date confirms that the COVID-19 crisis has had profound negative impacts on the A PRODUCT OF THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF Public Disclosure Authorized https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are/news/ education, health, employment and empowerment of girls and women including in SSA. Available data ECONOMIST FOR THE AFRICA REGION Our Human Development climate team contributed The World Bank launched the Sahel Education White coronavirus-covid19/world-bank-support-for-country- is still limited, but what is known to date suggests that we are seeing the tip of an iceberg. Many impacts will have long term repercussions for girls’ Social Protection access-to-covid-19-vaccines (April 2022) and women’s human capital. Decision makers are at significantly to the recently launched World Bank Paper and the Western and Central Africa Education a pivotal moment to invest now in women and girls, to neutralize immediate but also prolonged costs to individuals, societies and economies. Group first in a series of new core diagnostic Country Strategy, two critical interventions around action plans The World Bank Group is working with https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/ Climate and Development Reports (CCDR s) to improve education access and outcomes. partners on the largest vaccination effort in Africa Human Capital Project 1 handle/10986/37281 that integrate climate change and development history to stop the COVID-19 pandemic. New information will be shared on this website as it considerations and help countries prioritize the most We are also looking inward, building our Africa becomes available. Assessing the Damage: Early Economic growth in the region is expected to impactful actions that can reduce greenhouse gas Human Development staff’s capacity on effectiveness Evidence on Impacts of the decelerate in 2022 amid a global environment with multiple (and new) shocks, high volatility, emissions and boost adaptation. In preparation for and operational knowledge. These have included COVID-19 Crisis on Girls and and uncertainty. Social protection reforms the upcoming 2022 UN Climate Change Conference work shops f rom Ju ly-D ecemb er 2 021 w it h Women in Africa (May 2022) need to strengthen economic resilience and (COP27) in Egypt in November 2022, our climate team approximately 150 task team members in 15 countries, shock responsiveness. Brief: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/ is exploring highlighting key issues around building on a shared understanding of the importance of handle/10986/37347 resilience of social systems, particularly in relationship Development Policy Operations (DPOs) as a financing Infographic: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/ infographic/2022/05/25/assessing-the-damage-early- to the current food insecurity crises. instrument that supports targeted policy reforms. In evidence-on-impacts-of-the-covid-19-crisis-on-girls- addition to this, our climate team published a climate and-women-in-africa We are also finalizing a number of policy notes co-benefits guidance note, which includes a menu of and recommendations which combine and distill climate-smart adaptation and mitigation interventions Western and Central Africa At the onset of COVID-19, there was global existing and new research to inform discussion and by sector that can be integrated into the design of Education Strategy concern about the negative indirect impacts the crisis would have on girls and women and (June 2022) dialogue. For example, our joint note with the Human projects and programs, including vaccine operations.   their human capital. Two years into the crisis, this brief summarizes the evidence to date The State of the Africa Region Development Chief Economist’s Office is looking at https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/publication/ on how the prediction of a shadow crisis has World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings the current overlapping crises from the perspective of The Africa HCP team has also created a “staff cookbook afw-from-school-to-jobs-a-journey-for-the-young- people-of-western-and-central-africa played out in Sub-Saharan Africa. The brief Event Boosting Resilience in impacts on gender, health, education, social protection of recipes”, a compilation of best practices, examples, further provides policy recommendations for decision-makers, including strengthening Turbulent Times: The Role of and jobs, and will provide policy recommendations to and actionable tips for successful cross-sector The Strategy articulates the World Bank’s social service delivery systems to be more Social Protection (April 2022) catch up with losses and accelerate progress. The World collaboration on human capital projects. We similarly plan (2022–25) for supporting education in inclusive and resilient to crisis and shocks AFW countries, highlighting responses to Watch the replay: https://live.worldbank.org/sm22/state- Bank, in partnership with the International Monetary share a monthly “wallpaper” series of thematic content region-wide challenges with country-specific africa-region#resources Fund (IMF), is also finalizing a policy note highlighting with our staff, promoting cross-team coordination strategies, and offering a roadmap for countries’ a set of priority reforms at the national and regional streamlining the human capital narrative. Using investments in improving educational This State of the Africa Region event provides outcomes. The strategy relies on available an opportunity to review the macro-economic levels to enhance sustainable and inclusive growth in the inspirational background images for virtual meetings, evidence and operational experience to set situation in the Africa region, given the recent Central African Economic and Monetary Community the series puts a spotlight on multi-sector solutions and priority interventions. It is not just a strategy for fluctuations in commodity and food prices, (CEMAC) in different dimensions including human collaboration for human capital acceleration. the education sector; it is also a strategy to bring and focus on social protection strategies that a whole-of-society and a whole-of-government can help build resilience in African economies capital. This is being done in close coordination with approach to foster strong cross-sector and create jobs, as they recover from multiple the CEMAC PREF-Secretariat. collaboration and partnerships. shocks in current troubled times. 32 K N O W L E D G E E X C H A N G E A N D A C T I V I T I E S K N O W L E D G E E X C H A N G E A N D A C T I V I T I E S 33 INVESTING Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized IN PEOPLE FOR A RESILIENT Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized AND INCLUSIVE Public Disclosure Authorized RECOVERY AFRICA HUMAN CAPITAL PLAN YEAR TWO PROGRESS REPORT Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized YEAR 3 PROGRESS Public Disclosure Authorized Human Capital REPORT Umbrella Program Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Annual Report 2021 Public Disclosure Authorized PROTECT AND INVEST in people JUNE 2021 Human Capital Ministerial Sahel Education White Paper: Human Capital Umbrella Human Capital Project Human Capital Ministerial Africa Human Capital Plan Year Conclave (April 2022) The State of Education in (December 2021) Year 3 Report (November 2021) Conclave World Bank/IMF Two Progress Report: Investing the Sahel (December 2021) https://documents.worldbank.org/ Annual Meetings Event in People for a Resilient and https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/human- capital/brief/human-capital-ministerial-conclave-world- https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/publication/ en/publication/documents-reports/ https://documents.worldbank.org/ en/publication/documents-reports/ Reimagining Service Delivery in a Inclusive Recovery (June 2021) bank-spring-meetings-2022 sahel-education-white-paper-the-state-of-education-in- documentdetail/661211647840768360/human-capital- umbrella-program-annual-report-2021 documentdetail/152711635786365470/human-capital- Digital Age (October 2021) the-sahel project-year-3-progress-report https://documents.worldbank.org/ en/publication/documents-reports/ CRITICAL INVESTMENTS IN HUMAN https://documents.worldbank.org/ This annual report details the activities of This report highlights the challenges and documentdetail/155781629273393266/africa-human- CAPITAL FOR AN EQUITABLE RECOVERY Building on past gains and current strengths, en/publication/documents-reports/ the Human Capital Umbrella Program and successes countries have experienced over the capital-plan-year-two-progress-report-investing-in- - APRIL, 2022: On April 26th, 2022, Ministers the Sahel Education White Paper identifies real documentdetail/614241636629681257/arresting- its anchor trust fund, the Advancing Human people-for-a-resilient-and-inclusive-recovery game-changers for countries to improve their past year. It acknowledges that countries have human-capital-losses-due-to-covid-19-reimagining- of finance and planning, private sector leaders, Capital Outcomes Globally Multi-Donor Trust struggled to stem their losses with the impact service-delivery-in-a-digital-age and heads of foundations and agencies from education outcomes. Fund (MDTF), with operational and financial of the coronavirus on lives and livelihoods. The AFR Human Capital Plan is centered on over 60 countries joined the 2022 Spring reporting as of December 2021. Countries continue to invest in their people, This brief summarizes the proceedings of a set of gamechangers and ambitious targets Meetings Human Capital Ministerial for resilient and inclusive development, the Human Capital Ministerial Conclave that have guided the World Bank’s response Conclave to discuss policy priorities and supported by the Human Capital Project. event in 2021. The conclave covered three and support at the onset of the COVID-19 solutions to overcome learning losses and main themes: Scalability of service delivery, pandemic. The gamechangers provide a restore jobs and skills. Efficiency of spending on human capital, and framework and momentum for COVID-19 Equity which puts people at the center of relief, restructuring, and recovery efforts to development. help Sub-Saharan countries and governments prioritize people and build a more sustainable, The State of the Global Education Crisis: A Path to Recovery Public Disclosure Authorized inclusive, and resilient future. (December 2021) https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/publication/the-state-of-the-global-education-crisis-a-path-to- recovery Public Disclosure Authorized The global disruption to education caused by the COVD-19 pandemic is without parallel and the THE STATE OF THE effects on learning are severe. Countries have an opportunity to accelerate learning recovery and GLOBAL EDUCATION CRISIS: make schools more efficient, equitable, and resilient by building on investments made and lessons A PATH TO REC OVERY learned during the crisis. A J O I N T U N E S C O , U N I C E F, A N D W O R L D B A N K R E P O R T Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized 34 K N O W L E D G E E X C H A N G E A N D A C T I V I T I E S K N O W L E D G E E X C H A N G E A N D A C T I V I T I E S 35 Our Way Forward Greater resilience and better data As this first phase of Africa HCP enters its final year of Work is underway to enable larger scale implementation and we plan for the next stage, we are using lessons learned before and during the COVID-19 and more tailored upstream solutions built pandemic to make pragmatic adjustments that are on four key components: more attuned to developing realities on the ground. As the landscape evolves with climate change, political instability, food insecurity, and other shocks and crises 1. Strong support from IDA that threaten development gains, we will continue IDA20, the 20th replenishment of the World Bank’s to work on strengthening policies, institutions, and fund for the poorest countries, positions us well for investments that improve development outcomes. We the next stepped-up phase of the Africa HCP. IDA20’s will also continue to leverage our convening platform financing envelope of $93 billion comes with a special to promote human capital policy reforms, actions, and theme on Human Capital and Gender and related operational innovations that accelerate more and better World Bank policy commitments, with more focus on investments in the region’s human capital. country-level actions to respond to the pandemic and build back better and greener. The Africa region plays a This will include strengthening our analytics, crucial role in delivering on IDA20 results. advocacy, and operational guidance in critical areas such as statistics and data highlighting human capital indicators, COVID-19 driven costs, and its impact on 2. Increased preparedness human capital. We will also develop a sustained Africa Community of Practice on human capital to ensure COVID-19 has been a wake-up call that human capital country-level relevancy, learning and ownership. The is vulnerable to shocks and that systems to build and importance of crises response and recovery is high on protect human capital are often ill-prepared to deal the World Bank’s agenda to help countries navigate with crises. An increased effort is needed to make their way out of crisis toward green, resilient, and systems and people more resilient to shocks, including inclusive development. pandemics, food shortages, conflicts, and climate change. We are ramping up support for expanded social safety nets and strengthening systems in the health, education, and social protection sectors. 36 O U R W A Y F O R W A R D 37 3. Catalytic catch-up investments To recover human capital losses exacted by the COVID-19 crisis, high-impact, cost-efficient catch- up investments are needed. With public resources constrained, it is imperative to support stronger public finance management for human capital to maximize available funds and improve how these resources are spent. We can also achieve change at scale by taking full advantage of technology innovations to reach larger numbers of people cost-effectively. 4. Improved human capital data collection To better measure the full impact of the COVID-19 crisis and build back better, we must improve and strengthen the quality, timeliness, and relevance of national data collection systems. We must build on successful programs like Service Delivery Indicators (SDI) surveys, which collect data in schools, clinics, and hospitals to provide the crucial evidence needed to improve the quality and accessibility of education and health services. 38 O U R W A Y F O R W A R D 39 Africa Human Capital Plan Results Framework INDICATOR BASELINE (FY18) FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 (EXPECTED) TARGET (FY23) NOTES $8.9 billion $8.2 billion $5 billion annual Volume of IBRD/IDA commitments for human development sectors $4.1 billion $3.2 billion $7.7 billion ($5.43bn AFE and ($4.38bn AFE and On track $3.47bn AFW) $3.81bn AFW) average Number of WBG Global Practices with targets on human capital in the region 4 4 4 4 4 7 In progress Reduction due Greater to post COVID Share of Development Policy Operations with a significant Human Capital focus 70% 71% 90% 64.70% At least 80% wave reallocations than 70% to other areas. Number of high-fertility countries with integrated or coordinated projects across sectors 7 9 11 13 17 20 In progress to support women empowerment and the demographic transition $3.9 billion $3.71 billion Volume of IBRD/IDA commitments for human development projects in FCV countries $514million $1.5 billion $3 billion ($1.6bn AFE and ($1.61bn AFE and $831 million On track $2.3bn AFW) $2.09bn AFW) Countries actively engaged in HC planning 12 12 20 In progress Number of partnerships or coalitions supported by the WB around the Human Capital agenda 0 6 7 9 10 In progress in Africa, including with development partners, CSOs, faith organizations and traditional leaders. Number of African Human Capital Champions and influencers mobilized on the Human Capital agenda 5 5 8 8 8 15 In progress 40