US amps up aid restrictions, and those left behind in era of self-interest
This week we report on the U.S. State Department’s radical expansion of the Mexico City Policy, also known as the global gag rule, which blocks U.S. federal funding to international nongovernmental or...
29 Jan 27min
Special edition: BCG on scaling global impact in an era of constraints
In this special edition of This Week in Global Development, recorded at Davos, we explore a fundamental shift in the development landscape: the move from funding gaps to impact-driven results. As glob...
27 Jan 34min
The latest from the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos
This week, we are tuning in from Davos as we report from the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. With Trump’s attendance and foreign policy dominating the summit, we discuss the most important...
22 Jan 27min
Inside the US foreign aid breakthrough and $2B commitment to the UN
This week, U.S. lawmakers reached a deal on a $50 billion compromise foreign assistance bill. Even though the agreement implements a 16% reduction from what was approved by Congress last year, it defi...
15 Jan 36min
What does 2026 hold for global development?
In the first episode of the year, we look ahead to what we expect to happen in 2026 in global development. From more foreign aid cuts by traditional Western donors to a more transactional approach to ...
8 Jan 46min
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 ...
17 Des 202535min
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 t...
10 Des 202531min
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, ev...
4 Des 202531min
