How a modest investment could save 162,000 women a year from dying from childbirth

At the end of this month, one of the most consequential political conferences of the decade will take place, with more than 150 world leaders gathering in New York to set the path for global development spending – more than $2.5 trillion – between now and 2030. But, in fact, heads of state are not expected to do much at the conference at all. With the so-called Agenda for Sustainable Development having been quietly finalized by diplomats and United Nations bureaucrats last month, the leaders are expected just to smile for the cameras and sign on the dotted line.

What is the biggest source of violence in our world? With the brutal conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, and elsewhere constantly in the news, many people would probably say war. But that turns out to be spectacularly wrong.

Transport problems affect every aspect of life in Haiti. The problems are all too familiar to Haitians. Roads degrade faster than they are rehabilitated or built. The inadequacy of the road network, combined with the pitiful state of roads and transport vehicles, means a large part of the rural population is isolated.

In fact, more than half of these people have no access to transportation, and more than a third rely on roads that are difficult to access. These conditions extremely limit access to basic services and opportunities for economic development.