This Breve presents the story of how, in recent years, the Colombian health system has struggled with technological pressure. The impact of technological pressure on the health sector during the last few years could be summarized by either of two phrases: "the cost of success" or "the adverse consequences of technological pressure." This Breve describes how the inadequateincorporation of health innovations into the system can threaten an egalitarian-inspired reform that has brought social progress. The document also discusses the policy tools Colombia has introduced to face this

This is the implementation manual of a programme that teaches mothers how to care, talk and play with their child in a way to improve their development. When they get older, this will help them to be ready for school and be happy and well behaved children. The programme uses a new approach of including parenting in routine child health visits.

This document presents the Second Meeting of the Poverty Reduction and Social Protection Network. Poverty Reduction is one of the main challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean countries. The IDB adopted poverty reduction and promotion of social equity as one of its main mandates at its Eight Resource Replenishment and its Institutional Strategy.

With the aim of guiding the work agenda on improving public health expenditure efficiency in the LAC region, the Inter-American Development Bank held a workshop entitled “Public Expenditure Efficiency and Outcomes: Application to Health, Challenges and Opportunities for Improvements in Latin America and the Caribbean” in March 2016. This document presents key discussions from the workshop, which brought together professionals in public financial management and healthcare.

This Breve is based on a webinar presented by Dr. Wolfgang Greiner, professor at the University of Bielefeld, member of the scientific Advisorygroup of the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG)and the EuroQol group. The presentation was delivered on September 29, 2015, to the members of CRITERIA, the Knowledge Network on Health Benefits Packages and Priority Setting in Health at the Inter-American Development Bank.

The following Breve provides an overview of the main challenges that societies, health care systems, and policy makers are currently facing to confront cancer. This brief analyzes the main characteristics of cancer, and shows how these influence the development of new drugs. At the same time, it looks at some of the implications for patients. It also presents some thoughts on the pharmaceutical industry related to cancer treatments.

This Breve is based on a webinar presented by Jonathan Dartnell and Aine Heaney, at NPS MedicineWise, on August 18 of 2015, to the members of CRITERIA, the IDB Knowledge Network on Health Benefits Packages and Priority Setting in Health.

This Breve is based on a webinar presented by Valérie Paris, health economist at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), on May 15, 2014, to the members of the Knowledge Network on Health Benefits Packages and Priority Setting in Health. The presentation focused on research carried out by the OECD and on data from the 2012 Health System Characteristics Survey.

Argentina and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) joined forces to test a new math education model called Mathematics for All (MAT). After just one academic year, learning increased in schools using the model, with particularly dramatic improvements among underperforming students. This brief describes how MAT improved learning by focusing on the development of mathematical thinking rather than on the memorization of formulas.

Peru's Ministry of Education has partnered with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and LEGO Education to develop a program that helps children improve their ability to solve scientific problems using a set of curriculum materials that is affordable and can be brought to a national scale. Working in teams on problems that capture their interest, students devise solutions, reflect on what they build while solving the problem, and apply what they have learned to new challenges. This brief describes a pilot initiative and its evaluation design and baseline.