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This Week in Global Development

This Week in Global Development

By: Devex | 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.

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

    Global Progress in the AI Era: Why investing in evidence is key to translating AI hype into impact
    Mar 30 2026
    As governments and funders invest in AI for development, a critical question remains: what actually delivers impact? In this episode of Global Progress in the AI Era, experts explain that funding evidence — not just innovation — will determine whether AI improves lives or reinforces existing gaps.
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    43 mins
  • PEPFAR, Global Fund, and the future of HIV care

    PEPFAR, Global Fund, and the future of HIV care
    Mar 26 2026
    In this week’s edition of This Week in Global Development, we unpack the precarious state of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. Despite ongoing congressional support, a significant disconnect between allocated funds and State Department disbursements has left major implementing agencies such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention operating on less than half their usual budget. As bridge funding begins to dry up and transition plans for bilateral health deals stall, the real-world consequences are starting to emerge — from shuttered drop-in centers in Nairobi to drastic service cuts in Uganda — and are putting key populations at immediate risk.

    When it comes to on-the-ground implementation, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is increasingly expected to fill the vacuum left by the dismantling of USAID projects. This shift toward using the Global Fund’s infrastructure for large-scale health transitions has been fraught with technical hurdles, however, including performance issues with the fund’s wambo.org procurement platform and the looming policy implications of the expanded global gag rule.

    To dig into these stories, Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Devex reporters Andrew Green and Jenny Lei Ravelo for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.
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    31 mins
  • Global Progress in the AI Era: How GiveDirectly is using AI to deliver cash faster

    Global Progress in the AI Era: How GiveDirectly is using AI to deliver cash faster
    Mar 23 2026
    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.
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    43 mins
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