Poverty Reduction

Poverty remains the most pressing issue facing Asia and the Pacific today. Despite some spectacular progress over the last few decades, the region remains home to two thirds of the world's poor. ADB is dedicated to combating the region's poverty in all its aspects, fostering growth, social development and good governance to boost incomes and opportunities, improve living conditions, and provide the basic services many in richer countries take for granted. More

Social Protection

Social protection consists of policies and programs designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability by promoting efficient labor markets, diminishing people's exposure to risks, and enhancing their capacity to protect themselves against hazards and interruption/loss of income. More

Health

Improving health in Asia and the Pacific remains a development priority that ADB supports. Vital to development, health promotes productivity and growth, social inclusion, learning capacity, incomes, and gender equity. More

Education

In support of the economic recovery, ADB will help countries improve sustainable financing of education and further increase targeted support to girls, children of the poor, and other vulnerable groups to help them continue their education, achieve their full learning potential, and gain relevant skills. ADB will assist with comprehensive longer-term reforms needed to redirect education and skills development systems to support the rebalancing of growth. More

Gender

Gender equity is a driver of change for achieving inclusive growth and sustainable development. ADB promotes gender equity through its operations. At least 40% of all sovereign investment projects will have notable gender mainstreaming elements by 2012. More