🤖 Rise in Data Server Power Consumption. Lack of Critical Care Beds in Asia. Decline in Head Start Program Funding.

Nǐ hǎo 🏮

Kuwait partners with Microsoft to train citizens in AI and cloud skills under the “Kuwait Skills” program.  Hendrix and UCA to strengthen health education. Citi’s grant to unlock sustainable careers, booming youth green skills. Saudi Arabia charts new course in Advanced Manufacturing and Marine Innovation.

China and Pakistan have agreed to enhance cooperation for TVET education. Kenya launches national AI-skills alliance to coordinate training, policy and inclusive innovation. The National Senior Secondary Education Commission partner with the Early Childhood Development Initiative to enhance secondary education through STEM and teacher training.

Today's Topics

👶 Early Childhood Education. Decline in funding for Head Start programs risking ECE enrolments
⚕️ Healthcare. Lack of critical care beds in Asian middle-income countries
🤖 Artificial Intelligence. Increase in data server electricity aligns with rapid growth of AI

Thanks for reading!

Not a subscriber yet?

👶 Decline in Funding for Head Start Programs Risking ECE Enrolments

Funded slots for infants and toddlers in Early Head Start programs dropped to 180K in 2024, down from 184K the year before. The decline breaks a short recovery after pandemic disruptions. It stabilizes as more mothers rejoin the workforce, reflecting ongoing child care shortages nationwide. The federal government is aiming to ease this pressure through the Biden administration’s Child Care Stabilization Grants, run by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

⚕️ Lack of Critical Care Beds in Asian Middle-Income Countries

Myanmar and Bangladesh had significantly fewer critical care beds per 100K than regional peers in 2022 due to systemic failures. Myanmar's healthcare infrastructure collapsed following the 2021 military coup alongside a 40% poverty rate. Bangladesh faces inadequate infrastructure, spending just 2.48% of GDP on healthcare against WHO's 5% recommendation, with only 0.3 beds per 1,000 population and severe doctor shortages. Poor governance, corruption, and uneven resource distribution compound deficits. Conversely, Kazakhstan's 34.4 beds reflect post-Soviet infrastructure investments and higher healthcare spending.

🤖 Increase in Data Server Electricity Aligns With Rapid Growth of AI

Data servers dominated electricity consumption in 2024, with US facilities using 183 TWh (4% of national supply), projected to surge 133% by 2030. AI-focused hyperscalers consume as much as 100,000 households annually, with next-generation facilities requiring 20 times more. Tech giants are sourcing power through nuclear deals—Microsoft restarting Three Mile Island, Google partnering with Kairos Power for SMRs, and Amazon investing $650M in Susquehanna Nuclear—while gas generation will double to 293 TWh by 2035. Despite renewable commitments, emissions surged—Microsoft up 30%, Google up 48%—as AI demands outpace clean energy infrastructure.

Like getting this newsletter? Request a demo for unlimited access to over one million charts

Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
Have some feedback or want to sponsor this newsletter? Let us know at qs.com.