TY - BOOK ID - 146892622 TI - Regional Economic Outlook, April 2020, Middle East and Central Asia. PY - 2020 PB - Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, DB - UniCat KW - Analysis of Health Care Markets KW - Communicable diseases KW - Covid-19 KW - Diseases: Contagious KW - Energy: Demand and Supply KW - Energy: General KW - Fiscal Policy KW - Fiscal policy KW - Fiscal stance KW - Health Behavior KW - Health care KW - Health Policy KW - Health systems & services KW - Infectious & contagious diseases KW - International Economics KW - International institutions KW - Investment & securities KW - Investments: Energy KW - Macroeconomics KW - Medical care KW - Oil prices KW - Oil KW - Petroleum industry and trade KW - Prices KW - Kyrgyz Republic UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:146892622 AB - Countries of the Middle East and Central Asia region have been hit by two large and reinforcing shocks, resulting in significantly weaker growth projections in 2020. In addition to the devastating toll on human health, the COVID-19 pandemic and the plunge in oil prices are causing economic turmoil in the region, with fragile and conflict affected states particularlyhard-hit given already large humanitarian and refugee challenges and weak health infrastructures. The immediate priority for policies is to save lives with needed health spending, regardless of fiscal space, while preserving engines of growth with targeted support to households and hard-hit sectors. In this context, the IMF has been providing emergency assistance to help countries in the region during these challenging times. Further ahead, economic recoveries should be supported with broad fiscal and monetary measures where policy space is available, and by seeking external assistance where space is limited. ER -