Poverty, low social capital and low government administrative capacity hinder sanitation improvements, even when the health benefits are clear.

The introduction of MNREGA increased economic activity as measured by night-time lights and banking deposits, but mostly in richer districts

Despite evidence of increasing household wages, anti-poverty schemes in India can have an adverse effect by lowering human capital investment

Criminalising sex work in Indonesia led to large increases in sexually transmitted infections among sex workers and likely across the whole population

Lessons on gender parity and staying healthy reduced intimate partner violence and led goal-minded girls to choose age-appropriate and ‘better’ boys

A programme promoting latrine construction in East Java with no financial assistance has limited impact on the health of children in poorer households

A better understanding of ‘price effects’ is needed to improve targeting and reduce trade-offs to education