This Week in Global Development

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Dive into the week's most critical global development news with the This Week in Global Development podcast.  In each episode, hosts Adva Saldinger, David Ainsworth, and Rumbi Chakamba break down major headlines and invite leading experts for insightful analysis.  Get up-to-date on news regarding foreign aid, humanitarian crises, the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals, finance, philanthropy, climate, food systems, global health, and stay informed on the latest trends and policy changes shaping global development. Episodes are published every Friday and can also be watched on YouTube. Subscribe to our YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@devex Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters: https://www.devex.com/account/newsletters

  1. 17/12/2025

    Forget quiet quitting, the State Department appears to be quiet hiring

    In our final episode of 2025, we discuss a tumultuous year in U.S. foreign assistance. It has not always been clear who is calling the shots in the new world of U.S. development funding, but we break down who we believe are the key players in this moment of uncertainty. We are also seeing that the State Department is rebuilding its workforce, and across the world, positions are opening up to fill the gaps created by the obliteration of the U.S. Agency for International Development. It’s all part of a messy scramble to reassemble the staff needed to oversee billions in foreign aid — and the first visible sign of a system trying to piece itself back together.  To piece together these emerging clues about the future, Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Senior Reporter Michael Igoe and Global Development Reporter Elissa Miolene for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.  During the sponsored segment of This Week in Global Development, Devex's Kate Warren speaks with Terre des Hommes Netherlands' Asia regional director about the organization's commitment to creating systemic change to address the root causes of child exploitation, as well as the importance of a multi-stakeholder protection ecosystem. Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.

    36 min

  2. 10/12/2025

    A look at Kenya’s new deals with the US, and the latest on food aid cuts

    The U.S. State Department has signed a bilateral agreement with Kenya, its first in its ongoing efforts to overhaul how it provides global health assistance. The United States said it will invest up to $1.6 billion over five years in the East African country, with the Kenyan government cofinancing the agreement with $850 million. We take a look at how this controversial new approach could play out in practice, and how it could shape other agreements between the U.S. and other African states. On the topic of Kenya, we also dig into the Kenyan government’s debt-for-food swap deal with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, worth $1 billion. The innovative arrangement allows the country to reduce part of its external debt in exchange for redirecting the savings into food security programs. The State Department has decided to cut funding to organizations implementing programs to build resilience in chronically food-insecure regions, which will affect the budget of the U.S. government’s Food for Peace initiative. We explore the move’s implications, including the impact on U.S. farmers.  For a deep dive into these stories and others, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Senior Reporter Sara Jerving and Global Development Reporter Ayenat Mersie for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. To mark Human Rights Day, Amazon’s director of human rights and social impact talks about Amazon’s human rights work, the systemic challenges facing global supply chains, and the role of responsible innovation in addressing them in the sponsored segment of the discussion. Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.

    31 min

  3. 04/12/2025

    Impact of HIV funding cuts, and the rise of digital public infrastructure

    We dig into the details of a new report published by UNAIDS, which found that donor funding cuts to the HIV response could lead to an additional 3.9 million new infections over the next five years, even if treatment coverage is maintained. The report, published on World AIDS Day 2025, called on governments to uphold human rights and urged funders to dedicate more resources to HIV prevention, including the highly effective twice-yearly injectable, lenacapavir. Last week, the U.S. State Department announced a grant of up to $150 million to drone company Zipline to expand health supply operations in five African countries. We highlight how this decision could signal the Trump administration’s new approach to global health aid. We also unpack how digital public infrastructure, or DPI, is becoming a vital development tool, and contemplate whether it can offer a more collaborative, cost-effective approach, especially given the recent cuts to foreign assistance.  To explore these stories, and others, Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger sits down with Senior Editor for Special Coverage Catherine Cheney and Senior Reporter Jenny Lei Ravelo to discuss the top global development stories of the week.  During the sponsored segment of This week in global development, brought to you by Pivotal, Catherine sits down with Action for Women’s Health grantee Lisel Lifshitz Gudiño, who is also the executive director of Mujeres Aliadas. Her leadership champions the midwifery practice, ensuring the delivery of safe, dignified, and culturally sensitive health care. Learn more about the awardees and explore the content series. Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.

    32 min

  4. 27/11/2025

    G20 politics, and the future of UNHCR

    This week, we unpack the major storylines emerging from the G20 Summit — the first ever held on African soil — where South Africa used its presidency to spotlight debt, inequality, climate, and critical minerals, even as the United States chose not to attend. With global development at an inflection point, leaders leaned into questions of how multilateralism must evolve as the global south asserts greater influence. With the humanitarian system stretched thin and displacement at record highs, we also examine the race to lead the UN Refugee Agency. A crowded field — largely European, with one notable African contender — is competing to guide the agency through a period of severe funding constraints and rising political pressures. During the conversation, we dig into what South Africa’s G20 agenda signals for future global cooperation, what’s at stake in the UNHCR leadership contest, and how shifting power dynamics could reshape the development landscape in the years ahead. To break down these stories and more, Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with colleagues Elissa Miolene and Colum Lynch for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.

    32 min

  5. 21/11/2025

    Trump’s approach to global health, and the latest from COP30

    This week, we take a look at the details of the new template for bilateral agreements between the United States and partner governments, which sheds light on the ideas floating around the Trump administration on how it will engage with other countries when it comes to global health. However, experts are raising concerns around its implementation.  In our update from COP30, we discuss the conference’s most important highlights, including the latest commitments and progress on scaling climate finance. We also investigate whether the meeting is living up to its designation as the “Implementation COP.” To dig into these stories, Devex Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Senior Reporter Sara Jerving and Global Development Reporter Ayenat Mersie, who is on the ground at COP30, for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.  During the sponsored segment of This Week in Global Development, brought to you by Pivotal, Kate Warren sits down with Action for Women’s Health grantees Sabine Zink Bolonhini and Adriana Mallet Toueg, co-founders of SAS Brasil, whose leadership brings equity in healthcare by leveraging innovative solutions in access and care delivery. Learn more about the awardees. Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.

    24 min
  6. Special episode: Can AI safely support mental health?

    19/11/2025

    Special episode: Can AI safely support mental health?

    In this special episode of the This Week in Global Development podcast, we dive into a fast-moving and timely question at the intersection of technology and health care: Can artificial intelligence safely support mental health?  Hosted in partnership with PATH, Devex Senior Editor for Special Coverage Catherine Cheney speaks with Bilal Mateen, chief AI officer at PATH, Miranda Wolpert, director of mental health at Wellcome, and Christelna Reynecke, COO at the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, about the role AI can play in addressing the global mental health gap.  Around the world, millions lack access to timely, quality mental health support, and AI tools could help extend care in ways previously out of reach. But the risks are real. We’ve already seen some unregulated tools cross into treatment claims, blur regulatory lines, and, in rare but tragic cases, cause harm.  This episode explores both sides: The promise of AI to expand access and the safeguards, standards, and oversight required to make that promise real, without leaving patients to absorb the risk. To hear more, listen to this conversation with Bilal Mateen, Christelna Reynecke, and Miranda Wolpert for the This Week in Global Development podcast.

    35 min

  7. 14/11/2025

    On the ground at COP30: The latest on climate finance and deciphering the jargon

    This week we are on the ground at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP30, in Belém, Brazil, where the intense heat and daily thunderstorms offer an “immersive experience” of the climate crisis right at the conference’s doorstep.  In this episode, hosted by Devex Executive Vice President and Executive Editor Kate Warren, reporters Ayenat Mersie and Jesse Chase-Lubitz highlight the key talking points at the conference, including the latest on the loss and damage fund and how multilateral development banks are financing climate action.  We also decipher the jargon around climate action for our global development audience, breaking down key acronyms such as NDCs and the controversial new investment fund, TFFF. The sponsored segment of the conversation is brought to you by Pivotal and its Action for Women’s Health initiative to discuss innovations shaping the future of women’s health. In this episode, Devex Senior Editor Catherine Cheney sits down with recently awarded grantee, Serah Joy Malaba, co-CEO of Tiko, whose leadership is deeply rooted in personal experience, fueling her commitment to ensure girls have the best chance for success. Learn more about the awardees and explore the content series — starting at the 12:37 mark. Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.

    37 min
  8. Special episode: Innovation in Action - Scaling Climate Solutions from the Ground Up

    13/11/2025

    Special episode: Innovation in Action - Scaling Climate Solutions from the Ground Up

    In this week’s special episode of the This week in global development podcast, filmed at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, and hosted in partnership with CropLife International, we explore the expanding role of agricultural innovation — including advances in plant science, crop protection, biotechnology, and digital and precision tools — in helping farmers adapt to climate stress and maintain productivity.  Devex Executive Editor Kate Warren speaks with Laurie Goodwin, vice president of public affairs and communications at CropLife International, about how innovation and open trade can work together to build climate-resilient food systems.  The episode also introduces a new practical guide that compiles global examples of policy approaches that strengthen sustainable agricultural growth and support climate, productivity, and resilience goals. Across the discussion, the importance of collaboration among governments, the private sector, and farmers is emphasized as essential for delivering measurable on-the-ground outcomes — not only at COP30, but across the wider set of global forums connecting climate, trade, and food security agendas. To hear more, listen to this conversation with Laurie Goodwin on this special podcast episode of This Week in Global Development.

    17 min
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About

Dive into the week's most critical global development news with the This Week in Global Development podcast.  In each episode, hosts Adva Saldinger, David Ainsworth, and Rumbi Chakamba break down major headlines and invite leading experts for insightful analysis.  Get up-to-date on news regarding foreign aid, humanitarian crises, the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals, finance, philanthropy, climate, food systems, global health, and stay informed on the latest trends and policy changes shaping global development. Episodes are published every Friday and can also be watched on YouTube. Subscribe to our YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@devex Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters: https://www.devex.com/account/newsletters

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