“Nothing is predetermined.  All countries can boost prosperity and eradicate poverty. Success or failure is not predetermined, future progress is not preordained.”

Dr. Jim Yong Kim is 3 weeks into his transition as World Bank President.  Dr. Kim is well known as one of the co-founders of Partners in Health, the prior director of World Health Organizations HIV program, as well as previous president of Dartmouth College.  Today at the Brookings Institute in Washington D.C., he reflected on the challenges of eradicating poverty over the next decade.

Dr Kim emphasized the importance of evidence-based policy research.  What are specific outcomes we are achieving, and how do we reward outcomes? What is the science of delivery and execution?  Addressing these questions is key to “ meeting our highest aspirations in health , education, social welfare, and environmental sustainability. “

He envisions a “great convergence where we reduce poverty, more people join the middle class, and more commit to leaving a healthier planet.”

Poverty is not limited to the developing world.   Dr. Kim continued, “Even in successful countries the next stage of development will call for further structural changes in order to sustain growth. Middle-income countries have to diversify their sources of energy. They have to modernize their economic structures and government programs.”

“We should be proud of the progress of last decade, but more than 1.3 billion people still live on less than $1.25 day.  This is a stain on our collective conscience.  Aggressively attacking poverty is both a moral and economic imperative.”

And we leave you with these words:

“The lesson of the last decade is that progress is possible for everyone.”