IMF Podcasts

The World Bank has labeled global pandemic one of the greatest risks facing the world today, but according to one economist, preventing such a disaster is only a matter of political will.

The IMF will provide grants totaling $100 million to the three countries worst hit by the Ebola epidemic. Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will use the funds to cover the cost of servicing their debt.

New report on low income countries helps strengthen IMF's monitoring framework.

A conversation with IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard, where he talks about the latest downward revisions to the World Economic Outlook. Even with a boost from falling oil prices, the WEO update shows global growth for 2015-16 at 3.5 and 3.7 percent.

Entretien avec OLIVIER BLANCHARD, économiste en chef du FMI, où il parle des dernières révisions à la baisse de la Perspective Économique Mondiale. La mise à jour montre la croissance mondiale pour 2015-16 à 3,5 et 3,7 pour cent.

The burning of fossil fuels comes with many costs. Millions of people die each year from the pollution it emits. This follow up to an earlier interview with an IMF economist explores the health risks posed by air pollution and some proposed solutions.

Strong economic growth helps keep people employed and healthy, but there's a growing sense in many countries that only the wealthiest are reaping the benefits. Nobel laureate Michael Spence says inclusive growth is key to economic stability.

More than half of all countries in the world have laws that restrict women from joining the workforce. The IMF says the global economy would benefit by Boosting Women's Participation in the Labor Force, and hosted a seminar on the topic last fall during the Fund's annual meetings. Sarah Iqbal participated in that forum and talks in this podcast about the hurdles women face when starting a business. Read as well the IMF Survey story on Unleashing the Economic Power of Women [http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2014/car091514b.htm]

Antibiotics have transformed modern medicine, but their overuse has resulted in more drug–resistant strains of bacteria. As resistance increases, people in poorer countries often can't afford expensive second-line drugs. Ramanan Laxminarayan, Princeton University and director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy.

Economist Justin Wolfers explains why the continued challenge of tackling income inequality should be a global priority for countries around the world and across the economic spectrum.