Urgent calls for debt relief as study shows health and education cuts in developing world

Influential economists want replenishment of funds and new ways to define countries in need before this week's IMF and World Bank meetings

Top economists are demanding urgent action on debt relief in Washington this week, as analysis from the campaign group Debt Justice shows struggling governments are cutting back on health and education.

As finance ministers and central bankers gather for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank annual meetings, influential experts including the Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, and leading economists Mariana Mazzucato and Jayati Ghosh, are urging them to turn debt into hope".