“​​No one can give you the magnitude of this outbreak,” Africa CDC's Dr. Jean Kaseya told me about the ongoing Ebola crisis. “How many cases do we have? No one knows. No one can tell you when we can stop this outbreak.” www.devex.com/news/it-s-so...

Join us Wednesday and Thursday in Geneva for Devex Impact House at the World Health Assembly: pages.devex.com/devex-at-wha...

Some highlights from the first two days of the World Health Assembly, including conversations around what's next for the African Medicines Agency and Accra Reset, debates happening among countries, and the fast spreading Ebola outbreak: www.devex.com/news/devex-c...

Nicholas Enrich — former top global health official at USAID turned whistleblower — details the internal chaos that ensued during the rapid destruction of the agency in the months following U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration.

The former global health lead at USAID, Nicholas Enrich, is pulling back the curtain on the internal chaos that ensued during the rapid destruction of the agency in his new book. “We were digging graves — our own, and those for millions of others,” he writes. www.devex.com/news/former-...

CPJ calls on Kuwaiti authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Kuwaiti-American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, detained under new security and fake news laws. Read more: cpj.org/2026/04/cpj-... #FreeAhmed #FreeAhmedEldin

Africa CDC recruited Dr. Mariatou Tala Jallow to build up its African Pooled Procurement Mechanism. In her previous job, she built the pooled procurement mechanism for the Global Fund from the ground up. www.devex.com/news/the-glo...

Trump is seeking a 30% cut to the foreign affairs budget, according to a preliminary fiscal year 2027 budget request. The budget includes $5.1 billion for global health, a $4.3 billion cut from what Congress approved in 2026. By Adva Saldinger: www.devex.com/news/trump-s...

Experts say primary health care systems in low-and-middle income countries are ill-equipped to handle chronic respiratory diseases. Health care workers are often not trained on these diseases, lack diagnostic tools, and medicines. www.devex.com/news/primary...

The global health sector is warning that Israel and the United States’ war against Iran is creating major supply route disruptions for critical life-saving health products: www.devex.com/news/health-...

The Global Financing Facility is planning to launch a new financing program for family planning, and maternal and child health commodities at the bank’s Spring Meetings this month. It previewed how it is expected to work last week in Nairobi: www.devex.com/news/gff-to-...

Flagging our special deal on Devex Career Accounts: 75% off an annual membership. Offer ends tomorrow: www.devex.com/upgrade/paym...

Some 1,800 maternal and child health experts from at least 87 countries gathered in Nairobi this week to discuss improving care and saving lives. A lot of the conversation was around ensuring essential commodities hit the shelves of health facilities.

The African Development Bank plans to partner with the Gates Foundation and other donors to increase access to affordable loans for countries to quickly buy essential health commodities. The plans — still subject to approval — were previewed last week in Nairobi: www.devex.com/news/afdb-ga...

I attended the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference in Nairobi this week. Here is my dispatch for @devex.com: www.devex.com/news/special...

Devex's @sarajerving.bsky.social is on the ground in Nairobi for the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference. As global health leaders gather to tackle the rising challenges of equity & access, Sara will be sharing updates & behind-the-scenes insights. Watch this space for her dispatches.

Women leaders in global health share their stories around gaps in gender equity in the global health architecture. Plus, the State Department launches a new platform that invites NGOs to apply to support bilateral health deals, and Africa CDC turns to debt swaps.

There’s one area considered a largely untapped resource for health finance on the African continent: converting debt into funds for health programs. Africa CDC has hired a special adviser to guide the agency on scaling these transactions for countries. www.devex.com/news/africa-...

The U.S. State Department launched a new platform that, for the first time, demonstrates how it will operationalize funding of global health projects outside of the bilateral health deals it’s signing with countries. Importantly, NGOs are eligible. www.devex.com/news/us-laun...

On March 9th, I'll be co-moderating an important discussion hosted by Women in Global Health on the state of women leadership in global health and the persistent gaps in women’s access to health services and how this impacts health outcomes. Please join us! lnkd.in/eDV3D3_X

3)Foreign aid cuts hinder global efforts to end female genital mutilation. @sarajerving.bsky.social traveled to Kenya's Narok County to visit rescue homes & health facilities, documenting the stories of FGM and early marriage survivors and those fighting the practice. www.devex.com/news/steep-a...

The US State Dept signed its first Western Hemisphere bilateral health deal: It will provide up to $22.5 million to Panama over the next 3 years, with Panama cofinancing the agreement with $11 million. www.devex.com/news/us-stat...

Last year, the Trump administration cut funding for the Demographic and Health Surveys program after four decades of support. Now the program is back, with Gates Foundation as the largest donor. But the program must chart a new path towards sustainability. www.devex.com/news/demogra...

Last Friday, during a @devex.com Pro event, I spoke with Dr. Janabi, the new regional director of WHO's Africa Office @afro.who.int He told me health reform on the continent is a marathon. “I think what matters is that we are moving decisively to the right direction.” www.devex.com/news/who-s-a...

In places where female genital mutilation is deeply embedded in culture, progress toward ending it is slow. I visited Narok County, Kenya, where grassroots organizations are working to educate communities around its dangers and help girls escape it. devex.shorthandstories.com/steep-aid-cu...

On February 20th, I'll be speaking with Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the regional director of the World Health Organisation's Africa Office @afro.who.int on strengthening health security on the continent. Please join for this important conversation! Register here: www.devex.com/events/who-s...

A statement from Columbia Journalism School faculty on the federal raid of a @washingtonpost.com reporter’s home: https://journalism.columbia.edu/news/faculty-statement-washington-post

U.S. lawmakers released a foreign aid bill that contains some positive — and surprising — news for the global health community if passed into law. For example, while the Trump admin slashed family planning funds in its proposed budget, this bill includes it. www.devex.com/news/unexpec...

The U.S. Congress have included funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in their foreign aid bill. This is a welcome development for the global health community, given that six months ago, the Trump admin said it would cut all funding for the org. www.devex.com/news/us-cong...

Staff cuts, loss of expertise, shuttered programs, and the withdrawal from the World Health Organization are worrying those who’ve invested deeply in the U.S. CDC's decades-long work in global health. www.devex.com/news/after-a...

A rundown of the key players in 'America First' foreign aid, by @alterigoe.bsky.social www.devex.com/news/the-key...

“Conditioning health assistance on religious affiliation or political reforms risks fragmenting national health strategies and bypassing continental frameworks like the AU’s Agenda 2063 and Africa CDC’s New Public Health Order,” said Amref Health Africa’s Desta Lakew. www.devex.com/news/alarm-b...

At @devex.com we have a content series analyzing the future of global health. Check out our coverage here: www.devex.com/focus/global...

NGOs can carve out a space for themselves in the new U.S. bilateral health deals — as long as they prove their relevance to the governments that America is partnering with, and are willing to adapt to new realities. That’s what experts said during a @devex.com briefing. www.devex.com/news/ngos-mu...

Amref's Dr. Githinji Gitahi writes on the new U.S. bilateral health deals: "It’s about securing strategic partnerships, building American companies, and controlling access to biological resources." www.devex.com/news/the-ken...

The U.S. State Dept is moving across the African continent signing bilateral health deals. On Dec. 16th, I'm moderating a @devex.com discussion w/ Aggrey Aluso, Dr. Mark Dybul, and @jirairratevosian.bsky.social about how these deals are unfolding. Register to join us: www.devex.com/events/insid...

How can black soldier flies reduce malnutrition, pressure on forests, and improve access to affordable organic fertilizers? Devex’s @sarajerving.bsky.social traveled to Madagascar to find out how these insects are poised to transform food systems and sustainable agriculture. #Madagascar

The U.S. is on a rapid-fire quest to sign new bilateral health agreements. But many are concerned that the State Dept is signing these agreements too fast and without public participation. www.devex.com/news/rapid-u...

The Kenyan govt said it didn’t sign a specimen-sharing agreement for disease outbreaks with the U.S. but will share data on request if regulators sign off and the data relates to U.S.-supported work. This comes in the wake of a bilateral health deal signed last week. www.devex.com/news/kenya-l...

The U.S. State Dept is calling African faith communities in for meetings to consult on the ongoing bilateral health negotiations. But given MOUs are signed with governments, it leaves questions on what role they'll play when the agreements are rolled out. www.devex.com/news/state-d...

The black soldier fly is considered delicious and nutritious. Researchers in Madagascar hope the flies can help reduce malnutrition and pressure on forests, as well as improve access to affordable organic fertilizers. www.devex.com/news/can-a-m...

Bill Steiger said Congress should give the State Dept the ability to negotiate bilateral compacts. “We’re not going to get to what the administration wants with nonbinding MOUs. We’re going to only get there with binding contacts,” he said. By Adva Saldinger www.devex.com/news/ex-top-...

Public health experts expressed concern that African governments are losing their collective bargaining power with the ‘America First’ approach to global health.

Health experts are concerned that African governments are losing their collective bargaining power under the United States’ new “America First” global health strategy as they sit alone across the negotiating table from the world’s most powerful nation. www.devex.com/news/will-af...

The U.S. showed unexpected levels of support, pledging $4.6 billion and maintaining its matching pledge ratio.

The Global Fund reached $11.34 billion of its $18 billion target during its pledging event. The wild card was the U.S., which showed surprising levels of support with a pledge of $4.6 billion, in the wake of mixed messages from the Trump administration. www.devex.com/news/global-...

Under the ‘America First’ global health strategy, African governments “won’t be aid recipients, but customers who recognize value,” said the State Department's Jeff Graham.

Under the ‘America First’ global health strategy, African governments “won’t be aid recipients, but customers who recognize value,” said the State Department's Jeff Graham. www.devex.com/news/us-heal...

The government is moving toward funding a smaller batch of multilaterals, as opposed to providing smaller grants to a broader set of organizations.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance reached its target of vaccinating an estimated 86 million girls with the vaccine that prevents HPV www.devex.com/news/gavi-an...