This Week in Global Development

Epizody

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  The new era of US and European foreign assistance 22.07.2026 30min

  This week we look back at the last 18 months of U.S. foreign assistance — a period defined by the dismantling of USAID and the absorption of foreign aid strategy into the State Department. We break down the types of initiatives the Trump administration is prioritizing and where the funding is flowing.On the other side of the Atlantic, the European Union is currently in the process of negotiating the bloc’s next seven-year budget. The new financial framework could mark a turning point for European aid, formalizing a shift from development-first spending toward an approach that increasingly serves member states’ geopolitical and economic interests.To dig into these stories and others, Adva Saldinger sits down with Michael Igoe and Jesse Chase-Lubitz for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. Redeem your Devex Pro discount:https://www.devex.com/upgrade/payment?package_short_name=PRO&payment_page_permalink=pro-discount-fortypercent&utm_medium=link&utm_source=newswire&utm_campaign=pro_week_2026
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  Turning World Cup hype into impact, and governing AI for good 16.07.2026 32min

  With the FIFA World Cup entering its final week, we explore how NGOs operating in participating nations can leverage the tournament’s spotlight to advance their work. While tournament hype is notoriously fleeting, we break down how NGOs can translate a short-term spike in curiosity into sustained long-term impact.We also discuss our key takeaways from the United Nations’ Global Dialogue for AI Governance and the International Telecommunication Union’s AI for Good Summit, both of which we covered on the ground in Geneva, Switzerland. From the absence of major AI labs to how lower- and middle-income countries are demanding an equal voice in global tech regulation, we explore why the development sector must stop leaving AI’s future to technologists alone.To dig into these stories and others, David Ainsworth sits down with Catherine Cheney and Thomas Cserep for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.In the sponsored segment of the podcast, hosted in partnership with The Pfizer Foundation, Devex Executive Vice President and Executive Editor Kate Warren speaks with Freddy Nkosi, Senior Director of Global Programs for West and Central Africa & DRC Country Director at VillageReach. They explore how locally-led supply chains and data-informed approaches are helping countries, such as the DRC and Cameroon, address last-mile challenges, supporting efforts to ensure vaccines reach remote and underserved communities when and where they are needed.
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  Uncertainty over UNAIDS’ future and avoiding sexual abuse in Ebola response 09.07.2026 33min

  With uncertainty lingering over its future, we discuss a new UNAIDS interim report outlining potential pathways forward — including further downsizing the secretariat, turning it into a U.N.-hosted hub, or merging it with another health entity. During the conversation, we explore UNAIDS’ alternative suggestions, as well as how this imminent transition fits into the wider restructuring of the global health architecture.As the Ebola emergency continues across eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, responders are facing a lack of community trust. During the 2018–2020 outbreak of the disease, aid workers subjected the locals to widespread sexual abuse and exploitation. We discuss whether the humanitarian sector is doing enough to prevent history from repeating itself.To dig into these stories and others, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with senior reporters Jenny Lei Ravelo and Sara Jerving for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.Sign up to Devex CheckUp here:https://www.devex.com/newsletters/devex-checkup
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  US aid leadership changes and a controversial UN merger 02.07.2026 34min

  This week we discuss Jeremy Lewin’s departure from the U.S. State Department’s foreign aid bureau to the White House. His transition to the National Security Council ends a controversial leadership marked by the retreat of the U.S. from its long-held role as the world’s leading bilateral donor. He is expected to be replaced by Andrew Veprek, who has pushed immigration and refugee restrictions at the State Department. As the United Nations continues to face budgetary constraints, we also analyze the potential merger of two major U.N. development agencies: the U.N. Development Programme, or UNDP, and UNOPS. While Secretary-General António Guterres sees this ambitious development reform as a way to overcome a yawning funding gap, UNDP chief Alexander De Croo and UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva have butted heads over their vastly different visions for the future.During the conversation we also discuss our key takeaways from the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, including a new initiative that is designed to tackle debt, trade, climate finance, and multilateral reform to help reset the terms of global cooperation.To dig into these stories and others, Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger sits down with U.N. correspondent Colum Lynch and reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. How can climate and nature investments move from ambition to action?In the sponsored segment of the episode, recorded live at Devex Impact House during London Climate Action Week, Kate Warren, Executive Editor and Executive Vice President at Devex, speaks with Waqas Batley, Senior Director, Conservation and Climate Finance Policy at The Nature Conservancy.Together, they explore how policy advocacy can help countries develop the plans, financial roadmaps, and regulatory systems needed to attract investment in nature and climate. The conversation looks at why nature should be understood as economic infrastructure, what finance ministries can do to send clearer signals to investors, and how approaches such as country platforms can help turn national climate and biodiversity priorities into investable pipelines.Sign up to Devex Invested:https://www.devex.com/newsletters/invested
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  Special edition: Live from Hamburg: Can governments still invest in the future? 01.07.2026 1h 8min

  This special two-part edition of This Week in Global Development comes to you from the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, where leaders from across development, government, business and civil society gather to debate the big questions facing the global economy — from climate and debt to security, trade, and the future of international cooperation.In part one, Devex Global Development Reporter Ayenat Mersie speaks with Achim Steiner, chair of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference and former administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, to explore a question at the heart of today’s geopolitical moment: Are governments preparing for the wrong kinds of threats? As defense budgets climb around the world, Steiner tells Ayenat that countries risk neglecting the investments that actually make societies more secure, from climate resilience and affordable clean energy to digital infrastructure. He also explains why sustainability should be seen not as a sacrifice, but as an opportunity to strengthen economies, lower costs, and build resilience.In part two, Ayenat speaks with Sierra Leone Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, who talks about “the politics of painful choices” — the difficult trade-offs governments face when debt burdens, aid cuts, and external shocks leave little room for long-term investment. He reflects on balancing immediate needs with climate action, why he believes countries need new tools to absorb global shocks, and what sustainability looks like from the perspective of a government under severe fiscal pressure.
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  Special edition: The blueprint for better lung cancer screening 30.06.2026 30min

  In this special edition of the This Week in Global Development podcast, produced in partnership with the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Devex co-founder and Executive Vice President Alan Robbins sits down with three architects of Kentucky’s transformation in fighting high lung cancer rates: Dr. Jamie Studts, Dr. Jennifer Redmond Knight, and Dr. Timothy Mullett — the team behind the Kentucky LEADS Collaborative and the QUILS™ system.After a decade of data, the results are clear: earlier diagnoses are being seen in Kentucky, and current efforts are seeking a similar impact in Mississippi and Nevada. But the real story is how these results were achieved. Rather than imposing top-down protocols, QUILS™ works by equipping local community programs with data-informed tools, continuous feedback, and practice support — helping local clinics serve as trusted access points for lung cancer screening in their communities.The conversation tackles the hardest part of scaling any screening program: human behavior. Lung cancer carries a unique stigma rooted in decades of anti-smoking messaging, and that stigma remains a powerful barrier, discouraging eligible patients from coming forward. The QUILS™ response is to replace shame and fear with empathy and hope, building person-centered care directly into clinical workflows so the burden does not fall on patients alone.For global health leaders, the implications are clear: The barriers Kentucky faced — rural isolation, underresourced systems, cultural mistrust — are not unique to one region. They exist everywhere. And the infrastructure built to overcome them may be exactly what the world needs.Visit Strengthening Care Systems — a series raising awareness of the scale of the global lung cancer burden and the systems-level changes required to address it: https://pages.devex.com/strengtheningcaresystems.html
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  Live from London Climate Action Week 25.06.2026 29min

  As London Climate Action Week gets into full swing, we break down the key talking points from the conference so far. With the city in the midst of a scorching heat wave, the discussion of climate change feels even more urgent than usual. We explore the transactional landscape that developing nations face, where much-needed capital is increasingly tied to the private sector.Beyond the balance sheets, one of the current tensions is the collision between green ambitions and economic survival. From the push for rapid electrification to the rollout of Europe’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, African nations are being forced to thread a near-impossible needle: industrializing their economies while navigating low-carbon mandates.Complicating matters is a growing communications crisis within the sector itself. To secure funding and dodge political blowback, many NGOs are camouflaging their climate work under the banners of health, food, or energy security. However, driving the climate conversation underground risks leaving the communities most vulnerable to extreme weather out of the spotlight when they need it most.To bring you the latest from London Climate Action Week, Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with global development reporters Ayenat Mersie and Jesse Chase-Lubitz for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters:https://www.devex.com/account/newsletters
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  Fact-checking US aid claims as the State Department continues to hire 18.06.2026 29min

  In our landmark 150th episode, we discuss a common theme in global development over the past 18 months: the state of U.S. foreign aid. We’re seeing the State Department steadily replenish its workforce, with dozens of open roles across the agency’s global health, international aid, and disaster response bureaus.On the topic of U.S. foreign assistance, last week Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the U.S. remains the world's top aid provider "by far" despite the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development. While provisional figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development indicate that Germany has officially overtaken the U.S. for the top spot, we find that the reality is more complex as the validity of the claim hinges entirely on how "aid" is defined. We break down the data and the nuance behind the figures.To discuss these stories, and others, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Business Editor David Ainsworth and Global Development Reporter Elissa Miolene for episode number 150 of our weekly podcast series.Register for Devex Impact House @ London Climate Action Week here:https://pages.devex.com/devex-at-london-climate-action-week.html
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  Development banks pivot strategies as global volatility deepens 11.06.2026 30min

  At this year’s annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Riga, Latvia, discussions centered on a critical structural shift: what development finance should look like in an age of persistent volatility. Ukraine is increasingly shaping the answer, as the bank’s sustained financing during the war emerges as a potential blueprint for future conflicts.We were also on the ground for the World Bank Fragility Forum, an event uniting global stakeholders to address the challenges of operating in areas experiencing fragility, conflict, and violence. The deteriorating situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo emerged as a central discussion point. Highlighting the complexity of aid delivery in active conflict zones, the governor of the DRC’s South Kivu province issued a stark call to withhold funding for development projects until baseline peace and stability are secured.Examining the Trump administration’s “America First” foreign policy, we also contemplate how to ensure that domestic resource mobilization becomes an effective way to increase development finance.To dig into these stories and others, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Managing Editor Anna Gawel and Global Development Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.Sign up to Devex Invested, our free, semiweekly newsletter bringing you the insider brief on business, finance, and the SDGs:https://www.devex.com/newsletters/invested
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  The latest on the Ebola outbreak response 04.06.2026 29min

  This week, we unpack the latest on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. With no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo species driving the spread, we dive into the race to develop a vaccine and the critical funding shortfalls standing in the way. While pledges have been made, much of that support has yet to reach those affected on the ground.We also discuss the congressional hearings on Trump’s fiscal year 2027 foreign affairs budget request, which featured a debate on the Ebola crisis. With this being the first outbreak since the dismantling of USAID, we break down the United States’ approach to the health emergency.To dig into these stories and others, Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Senior Reporters Sara Jerving and Michael Igoe for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. Check out Devex’s new podcast series Theory of Change:https://www.devex.com/focus/theory_of_change
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  Can domestic resources and private capital fund development? 28.05.2026 42min

  In this episode, we look back at the conferences we reported from over the past few weeks, reflecting on how global development narratives are evolving across both the global north and the global south.With traditional donors stepping back, the African Development Bank is using its annual meetings to urge governments to fix tax inefficiencies and better mobilize domestic resources to drive sustainable economic development.We found similar themes at the OECD’s Future of Development Co-Operation conference in Paris and the Global Partnerships Conference in London, where unlocking private capital and prioritizing country-led development emerged as key talking points.To analyze these trends, Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger sits down with Business Editor David Ainsworth and Global Development Reporter Ayenat Mersie for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. Sign up to Devex Invested:https://www.devex.com/newsletters/invested
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  Live from the World Health Assembly 20.05.2026 22min

  Filmed live from Geneva, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly, this episode of This Week in Global Development delves into the critical debates unfolding on the ground in Geneva. That includes the tense atmosphere following the World Health Organization’s rare decision to proclaim a global health emergency over the latest Ebola outbreak, mounting fears regarding the virus tracking into dense urban centers, and how containment efforts are hindered by strict funding restrictions that leave the vast majority of voluntary budgets tied up.The discussion also looks at the highly anticipated — yet heavily criticized — joint strategy to reform global health infrastructure, capturing the frustration of analysts who feel the plan avoids essential conversations about institutional mergers. The behind-the-scenes maneuvering for the next WHO director-general selection enters the conversation as well, along with the complex legislative hurdles facing the African Medicines Agency as it strives to secure pharmaceutical independence across the continent.During the sponsored segment of the podcast, brought to you by PATH, Devex Executive Vice President and co-founder Alan Robbins sits down with Dr. Melanie Saville, PATH’s Chief Scientific Officer, to discuss why diagnostics must move from being viewed as a recurring cost to being funded as essential global health infrastructure.
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  Special edition: Early detection in Brazil is a game changer for lung cancer care 19.05.2026 18min

  In a special edition of the This Week in Global Development podcast, Devex cofounder and Executive Vice President Alan Robbins sits down with Brazilian thoracic surgeon Dr. Ricardo Sales do Santos to discuss a revolutionary approach to tackling lung cancer in medically underserved communities in Brazil. As the most lethal form of cancer globally, lung cancer often goes undetected until its final stages, but Dr. Santos and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (are working to change that narrative through a combination of mobile technology and local capacity building. By bringing advanced CT scanning units directly into high-risk, low-income communities, they are catching tumors when they are small and potentially curable, fundamentally shifting the odds for thousands of patients. The conversation also touches on the logistical and cultural hurdles of delivering specialized oncology care to remote areas. Dr. Santos highlights the importance of “bringing the clinic to the patient,” utilizing mobile CT units and telemedicine to bridge the gap in healthcare access. Beyond the technology, the success of the program relies heavily on empowering local health workers and community members to recognize early cancer warning signs and overcome the stigma associated with a cancer diagnosis. This approach not only improves individual health outcomes but also strengthens the broader healthcare system, offering a scalable model for global health initiatives. To learn more about sustainable improvements in cancer care and get a compelling look at how local solutions can drive global change, listen to this special edition of This Week in Global Development. For more international development news, visit: http://www.devex.com Visit  Strengthening Care Systems — a series raising awareness of the scale of the global lung cancer burden and the systems-level changes required to address it: https://pages.devex.com/strengtheningcaresystems.html
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  What can we expect from the 79th World Health Assembly? 14.05.2026 32min

  This week, we look ahead to the key talking points at the 79th World Health Assembly, where the Devex team will be reporting from next week. As the World Health Organization continues to operate on a deficit, and with the U.S. withdrawal from the agency, we dig into what the future holds for WHO and how this shifting financial landscape will reshape the global health architecture.With WHO facing funding constraints, we explore how this financial shortfall could impact the agency’s response to the new hantavirus outbreak and its ongoing fight against HIV.During the episode, we also highlight the sessions we are most looking forward to at Devex Impact House, happening on the sidelines of WHA. Secure your spot by registering here:https://pages.devex.com/devex-at-wha-79.htmlTo offer a preview of the 79th WHA, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with reporters Jenny Lei Ravelo and Andrew Green for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.You can now also request an in-person invite or register for on-demand content for our upcoming Devex Impact House @ London Climate Action Week here:https://pages.devex.com/devex-at-london-climate-action-week.html
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  Special edition: Turning sustainable energy into a viable asset class in Africa 11.05.2026 20min

  In this special episode of This Week in Global Development, Alain Ebobissé, CEO of Africa50, joins Devex Managing Editor Anna Gawel to discuss a paradigm shift in African infrastructure investment. Africa50, a pan-African investor, is moving beyond one-off projects to aggregate large-scale, “institution-grade” sustainable energy assets. By shifting the narrative from a development imperative to a viable commercial opportunity, Ebobissé explains how his organization is attracting both global and African capital to bridge the continent’s massive energy gap, which currently leaves around 600 million people without basic electricity.A centerpiece of the conversation is the critical role of private sector participation in electricity transmission, an area historically funded exclusively by governments. Ebobissé emphasizes that power generation is futile without the grid capacity to deliver electricity to end users and businesses, highlighting Africa50’s work on the continent's first independent private transmission projects.Looking toward the next decade, he advocates for a balanced energy mix — including renewables and natural gas — and issues a call for a heightened sense of urgency among global institutions to prioritize results over perfection in order to close the energy gap at speed.
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  Inside the corruption scandal that tarnished the UN 07.05.2026 32min

  This week, we take you inside a Devex exclusive: the $60 million fiasco at the United Nations, a complex story with an equally complex set of characters, including Vitaly Vanshelboim, whose rise and fall left a black mark on a key U.N. agency.Once revered as a financial wizard, Vanshelboim was the man credited with pulling UNOPS back from the brink of bankruptcy. However, as our investigation reveals, behind the diplomatic prestige and profits lay a shadow world of secret side deals, luxury cars, and a $60 million trail of broken promises. Now, as the former U.N. assistant secretary-general faces a reckoning from a Spanish prison cell, we discuss the lingering question: For a system that prides itself on rigorous oversight, is this incident a one-off or emblematic of something deeper? To dig into this story and others, Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger sits down with Managing Editor Anna Gawel and Senior Global Reporter Colum Lynch for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.Request an invitation to attend Devex Impact House @ WHA in Geneva:https://pages.devex.com/devex-at-wha-79.html
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  Reform or be defunded: The Trump administration’s demands for the UN 30.04.2026 33min

  In an internal memo seen by Devex, the Trump administration has threatened to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to the United Nations unless it adopts a slate of nine “quick win” reforms. We break down the demands and what they reveal about the United States’ new road map for multilateral engagement.We also received a recent congressional notification which reveals that USAID has up to $19.2 billion to close out terminated foreign assistance awards. We explore what that funding would be spent on.To discuss these stories and others, Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth speaks with reporters Colum Lynch and Elissa Miolene for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.During the sponsored segment of the This Week in Global Development podcast, brought to you by The Fred Hollows Foundation, Devex Executive Vice President Kate Warren sits down with Dr. Caroline Casey, president of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, to discuss why restoring sight is not just a health intervention, but a critical lever for unlocking women’s economic participation, reducing unpaid care burdens, and accelerating progress on gender equality.Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
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  The new world order of aid: Inside the Skoll World Forum 23.04.2026 27min

  This week, we are on the ground in Oxford for the Skoll World Forum, an annual international convening of social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and leaders across government and civil society. While the global development community faced significant headwinds from foreign aid cuts this time last year, the atmosphere at this year’s forum remains optimistic and focused on resilient solutions.During the conversation, we explore why the forum remains a cornerstone for the global development community, as well as share what we are learning about how philanthropic organizations see their role evolve in the post-aid era.To discuss the latest news from the Skoll World Forum, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar and Business Editor David Ainsworth for this edition of our weekly podcast series.Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
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  Special edition: Visionomics - how eyeglasses drive economic growth 21.04.2026 22min

  In a special edition of the This Week in Development podcast, Devex Executive Vice President Alan Robbins sits down with Ambassador Keisha McGuire, chief global affairs officer at RestoringVision, to explore the profound economic ripple effects of addressing near-vision loss, or presbyopia. While often dismissed as a mere "annoyance," age-related vision loss is a significant barrier to global health and economic development. RestoringVision has coined the term "visionomics" to describe the vital intersection of vision, health, and the economy. For millions in low- to middle-income countries, the inability to see clearly can lead to a devastating economic impact on households, communities, and countries.The case for investing in vision is mathematically undeniable: For every $1 invested in vision services in these regions, there is a $28 return on investment. Despite this, eye health has historically lagged behind other global health priorities. However, the tide is turning with major new funding commitments and increased political mobilization leading up to the first-ever Global Summit for Eye Health in November 2026 in Antigua and Barbuda. By treating vision not just as a medical cost but as a catalytic investment, organizations can advance at least seven Sustainable Development Goals, proving that a simple pair of reading glasses can be one of the most cost-effective tools for reducing global poverty.Listen to this episode of This Week in Global Development to hear the whole discussion. 
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  Global Progress in the AI Era: The future of AI will be decided by small choices with big stakes 21.04.2026 29min

  In this episode of Global Progress in the AI Era, a government minister and tech entrepreneur argue that the future of AI will be determined by thousands of small choices. Taking part in the conversation hosted by Devex Senior Editor for Special Coverage Catherine Cheney were Amini founder and CEO Kate Kallot, as well as Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy.