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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: https://www.devex.com/account/newsletters

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 commitmen

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.

Against the backdrop of the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings, Devex reporters Adva Saldinger, Michael Igoe, and Ayenat Mersie dissect the stories they’ve been hearing on the ground this week. That includes the latest OECD figures showing a staggering 25% drop in official development assistance, the ripple effects of the conflict in the Middle East, and a newfound focus on rebuilding public consensus. The discussion also looks at the World Bank’s bold new “sector-first” strategy, highlighted by the launch of Water Forward — an ambitious initiative aiming to provide one billion people with access to clean water through country-led compacts. The return of African trade corridors enters the discussion as well, along with the International Monetary Fund’s scramble for concessional funding. To dig into these stories, listen to this episode of This Week in Global Development.

Special Episode: Every Crisis is Political - Redefining Humanitarian Response by Devex

This week, we discuss the United States’ new highly targeted approach to humanitarian aid, showcased in a $2 billion agreement with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA. Designed for rapid impact, the funds are strictly earmarked for direct, lifesaving assistance over a short six-month window across 18 crisis-affected countries. We explore the implications of this strategy, which signals a significant shift in U.S. foreign aid toward fast-tracked, tightly scoped interventions focused on immediate survival. During the conversation, we also take a look at the details of the Trump administration’s budget request, which calls for a 30% cut to foreign affairs spending and increased funding to rebuild and secure critical mineral supply chains. To dig into these stories, and others, Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Adva Saldinger and Elissa Miolene for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. To find out more about how the U.S. budget works, check

In this special episode of This Week in Global Development, we explore breast cancer not just as a health challenge, but as a critical development challenge. In low- and middle-income countries, or LMICs, a breast cancer diagnosis can have a devastating ripple effect that extends far beyond the clinic, impacting households, communities, and entire systems. Hosted in partnership with The Pfizer Foundation, Devex Executive Vice President and Executive Editor Kate Warren speaks with Darren Back, Dr. Loice Sitienei, and Dr. Patrick Loehrer to explore why integrated breast cancer care strengthens both health systems and economic resilience, ultimately improving outcomes for women facing this disease. The conversation underscores the systemic barriers to breast cancer care in LMICs, where limited infrastructure and high costs often lead to delays in diagnosis. The Pfizer Foundation's Action and Impact initiative, a philanthropic investment now totaling $25 million across five sub-Saharan African countries, aims

We dig into the key findings of a report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on philanthropic funding. As traditional donors continue to slash their aid budgets, we examine where philanthropy can help plug the global development funding gap and provide resources for areas the private sector is not focusing on. We also discuss the United Kingdom’s new aid strategy. As the country looks to cut official development assistance spending to 0.3% of its gross national income, the government plans to shift from a donor role to an investor role, while focusing its aid on fragile and conflict-affected states. As we look ahead to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings this month, we explore the former’s new water strategy, which aims to shift away from a narrow focus on infrastructure toward a broader, more integrated approach. To discuss these stories, and others, Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger sits down with Managing Editor Anna Gawel and Global Developmen

In the latest episode of our weekly podcast, we examine the funding gaps and implementation challenges facing PEPFAR and the Global Fund as they navigate new bilateral health deals and the impact of the expanded global gag rule.

In this special podcast episode, Kate Warren and Denys Denysenko discuss how the RADIAN partnership between the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Gilead Sciences is combating one of the world's fastest-growing HIV epidemics in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

#137: Latin America and Africa paths diverge amid global shocks by Devex

In this episode of Global Progress in the AI Era, Nick Allardice explains how GiveDirectly is using AI to deliver faster, more direct aid — from anticipatory cash transfers in Bangladesh to near real-time responses in crisis zones. The conversation explores what it takes to move from theory to practice, and how AI is forcing new trade-offs around speed, targeting, and dignity in humanitarian response.

Global Progress in the AI Era: Why investing in evidence is key to translating AI hype into impact by Devex

This week, we are reporting from the Commission on the Status of Women — the world’s largest gathering on gender equality, which is taking place at the United Nations headquarters in New York. We discuss the key talking points at the conference, including what’s at stake amid a global regression in women’s rights, as well as the conversations taking place on the sidelines of the main summit. Staying on the topic of gender equality and the U.N., we also explore the potential merger of two agencies — UN Women and UNFPA — and explore the latest updates on the race for the next U.N. Secretary-General. To dig into these stories, and others, Adva Saldinger sits down with Colum Lynch and Elissa Miolene 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

Too many “AI for good” pilots fail before reaching the people who need them most. To solve this scaling crisis, Kanika Bahl, the CEO of Evidence Action, is stepping down from the helm of the organization to lead a new effort called the AI Access Initiative. Operating as an “AI-native NGO,” the initiative will bridge the gap between frontier tech labs and global development actors.  Rather than funding endless pilots, it is focusing on scaling proven “big bets,” including clinical decision support for overstretched health systems and AI weather forecasting for smallholder farmers. Bahl warns that the development sector must abandon “business as usual” and aim for audacious goals — including reaching half of the world’s 3.5 billion people living in poverty — to prevent a rapidly widening digital divide.

This week, we are reporting from the European Investment Bank’s annual meetings in Luxembourg to better understand the direction in which the institution is heading. We dig into the agenda as Europe continues to balance defense and development spending. EIB President Nadia Calviño says the bank is “carrying the flag of development.” This comes as the bank pledged $1 billion for electrification in Africa, strengthened its commitment to health and gender, and launched its third Gender Action Plan. During the conversation, we also discuss the messy USAID closeout process. Despite hundreds of millions of dollars owed to former partners and a growing threat of litigation, sources say the Trump administration is stalling settlement payments and imposing unrealistic deadlines as it starves the agency’s legacy operations. To explore these stories and others, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with reporters Michael Igoe and Jesse Chase-Lubitz for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. Sign up to th

This week on Devex’s Global Progress in the AI Era podcast, we are breaking down the critical shift from simply accessing artificial intelligence to owning the infrastructure it runs on, with a specific focus on how the global south can finance AI infrastructure on its own terms. From the push for "minimum viable compute" to the deployment of micro data centers, we explore how nations are moving away from being mere sites of data extraction toward becoming sovereign architects of their own technological destinies. To dig into these stories, Devex’s Catherine Cheney is joined by Jonathan Reid, Barbados minister of innovation; Kate Kallot, founder and CEO of Amini; and Alaa Murabit, managing partner at 500 Global. As the conversation around AI often centers on the massive "gigawatt factories" of the global north, our guests argue that the real bottleneck isn’t computing capability, but institutional capacity and the underlying financing architecture. We discuss the transition from short-term pilots to durable

Last week, we were at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 to find out how this revolutionary technology can transform global development. From AI regulation to the push for democratized access, we’re breaking down our key takeaways from the summit and exploring how artificial intelligence can maximize impact in the sector. On the topic of the AI Impact Summit, Bill Gates pulled out hours before delivering a keynote speech. As the ties between the billionaire philanthropist and Jeffrey Epstein continue to generate headlines, we discuss whether the scrutiny of their relationship will broaden into a larger conversation about the power structures underlying elite philanthropy. To dig into these stories, and others, Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Managing Editor Anna Gawel and Senior Editor for Special Coverage Catherine Cheney to discuss the top global development stories of the week. Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters: https://www.devex.com/account/newsletters

Artificial intelligence is moving at breakneck speed, but can global governance keep up? In this episode of our new podcast series, Global progress in the AI era, Devex’s Catherine Cheney sits down with Amandeep Singh Gill, the U.N. secretary-general’s envoy on technology. Together, they unpack the fast-evolving — and often fragmented — architecture of AI regulation. The core question: Can today’s patchwork of initiatives be connected quickly enough to ensure low- and middle-income countries help shape how AI is built and used — rather than being shut out of the benefits and left as testing grounds for systems making high-stakes decisions about their future?

We examine the latest developments surrounding the African Continental Free Trade Area, or AfCFTA, which served as a focal point of the recent African Union Summit. The initiative continues its phased reduction of continental tariffs to bolster intra-African trade and industrialization. The development of strategic resource corridors to anchor critical mineral supply chains was also a cornerstone of the discussions. The U.S. officials sought to reassure participants that corridor investments would not be exploitative and would deliver tangible benefits to local communities. We also reflect on the Munich Security Conference, where we found that the global south was underrepresented. While traditional foreign aid was largely sidelined in favor of immediate security priorities, development finance emerged as a prominent topic of conversation. Throughout the summit, participants frequently championed the argument that strategic investment in development is a prerequisite for global security, rather than a bypro