Social security systems in low income countries: Concepts, constraints and the need for cooperation
This paper describes existing systems of social security in developing countries and analyses their institutional strengthes and weaknesses. To this end, the paper identifies four main providers of social security, namely the state, the market, member-based organisations, and the private households. Given the weaknesses of each system, the paper explores the possibilities of a public-private partnership which should be based on local information on the one hand, while profiting from possibilities of risk pooling, reinsurance and better access to risk capital on the other.