School child in Iringa, central Tanzania. Social safety measures can be used to keep children in school. (Photo: Andy Aitchison/In Pictures/Corbis)

Social safety nets aren't just charitable handouts, they're an essential way to ensure growth is sustainable. Safety nets range from cash transfers through health care, to public works programs to create employment. Over the last decade, more countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been adopting social safety nets to help their poorest.


David Coady, IMF Fiscal Affairs Department Lynne Sherburne-Benz, sector manager for social protection in Africa, World Bank.

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