Long read. Impact bonds can aid recovery in lower and middle-income countries

COVID-19 has disrupted the delivery of essential public services, including social services that benefit the most vulnerable individuals in our society. The provision of these services and the safety nets that complement them vary across countries. Regardless of which income group they fall under, both rich economies and emerging economies are experiencing the dual challenge of simultaneously confronting both a public health crisis and a public finance crisis, write Tanyah Hameed and Clare FitzGerald (University of Oxford).