Protect & Invest in People: Human Capital in the Time of COVID-19

COVID-19 threatens to reverse gains in human capital outcomes by exposing weaknesses in health, education, and social protection systems. This event explores how immediate, longer-term, and forward-looking responses can lead to a more sustainable recovery.

Mari Pangestu, Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships at the World Bank, describes COVID-19’s threat to human capital and outlines the Bank’s response as countries strive to contain the pandemic, save lives, and rebuild their economies.

We hear from frontline health workers as well as youth from across the globe on the challenges they are facing in responding to the pandemic, what measures they are taking to cope, and their ideas for building a resilient recovery.

Bringing the focus to gender, Melinda Gates, Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, explains how women and girls are disproportionately affected, suffering from “shadow” pandemics and Mirai Chatterjee, Director of Social Security at the Self-Employed Women's Association in India, highlights the need to invest in frontline health workers, particularly women.

Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa and the Chairperson of the African Union, shares remarks on how Africa’s strategic and collaborative response is focused on saving lives and protecting livelihoods.

The first panel features Abhijit Banerjee (Economist and Nobel Laureate), Azucena Arbeleche (Minister of Economy and Finance, Uruguay), Dr. Mai Alkaila (Minister of Health, West Bank and Gaza) and Reha Denemec (Deputy Minister of National Education, Turkey) discussing how investments in people can lead to a resilient, inclusive recovery.

Narender Dev Mantena (Head, Global Strategy and CEO, Biological E. Limited, India) and Mohammed Akoojee (Group CEO, Imperial Logistics, South Africa) join the private sector panel and explain how, with IFC support, vaccine manufacturing capacity is being increased and how mobile testing clinics could be used for primary health care services after the pandemic.