Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Developing e-Health Capabilities in Bhutan

The improved e-Health service in Bhutan’s remote Bumthang District successfully uses television white space, which allows internet connection to penetrate difficult terrain and thick foliage. Through this technology, rural health patients in Bumthang can now avail of much-needed low cost yet quality health care.

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How Tobacco Taxes Can Expand Fiscal Space and Benefit the Poor

Without intervention, cigarette smoking could kill about 267 million smokers in the People's Republic of China, India, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Raising tobacco taxes in these countries can deter smoking, reduce the number of smoking-related deaths, and generate revenues to help meet healthcare costs for the poor.

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Lanzhou's Bus Rapid Transit System Brings Quick Relief to Busy City

Bus rapid transport system in Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China, brings quick relief to urban commuters, fosters a livelier local economy, and promotes sustainable development.

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Viet Nam's Poor Gains from Participatory Agriculture Research and Extension

An ADB project linking training, research, and extension services encouraged Viet Nam’s poor farmers to tackle agricultural issues. This helped increase value addition, exports, and productivity in the country’s agriculture sector. It has also contributed to a decline in rural poverty and improved natural resource management.

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Tackling Corruption through Civil Society-led Information and Communication Technology Initiatives

The use information and communication technology by civil society to fight corruption is trending—development agencies can help sustain this trend by funding programs and fostering institutional environments that foster greater participation and mobilization in anticorruption efforts.

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