Blog Posts in Global Development

  • June 8, 2021
    Blog

    40 Years Later— What HIV Taught Us About Responding to Infectious Diseases: A Conversation with Dr. Paul Stoffels

    Jennie Bragg in Global Development | June 8, 2021

    It has been 40 years since the first cases of what later became known as AIDS were reported— and despite incredible scientific and programmatic strides, the end of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is not yet in sight. But lessons learned from HIV/AIDS are germane as the world responds to other infectious disease threats, including COVID-19. We asked Dr. Paul Stoffels of Johnson & Johnson about these lessons, the success of PEPFAR and the importance of global health security for preventing future pandemics.

  • June 1, 2021
    Blog

    Q&A with Ambassador Cindy Courville: First U.S. Ambassador to the African Union Talks Challenges, Successes, and the Future of the U.S.-Africa Partnership

    Lukogho Kasomo in Diplomacy, Economic Prosperity, Global Development | June 1, 2021

    In celebration of Africa Day 2021 and its 58th anniversary, we had the opportunity to interview Ambassador Cindy Courville, who served as the first U.S. Ambassador to the African Union (AU) from 2006 to 2008. Ambassador Courville’s long and illustrious public service career includes decades of experience shaping and transforming U.S. policy in Africa while serving with the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council, and as Ambassador to the AU based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

  • May 27, 2021
    Blog

    Fighting Corruption and US Foreign Assistance

    John Glenn in Economic Prosperity, Global Development | May 27, 2021

    As Vice President Harris prepares for her upcoming trip to Central America, recent events have raised concerns about corruption not only as one of the root causes of migration but also as a risk that potentially undermines U.S. assistance to improve conditions on the ground.

  • May 24, 2021
    Blog

    On Africa Day, Celebrating U.S.-Africa Partnership and Cooperation

    Zach Cohen in Congress, Economic Prosperity, Global Development | May 24, 2021

    Africa Day 2021 marks the 58th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity—now the African Union—and is a celebration of the diversity and independence of Africa’s 54 countries.  The U.S. has a long and robust bipartisan history of support for building partnerships across the continent, especially when it comes to strengthening public health, developing local infrastructure, supporting political stability, and advancing trade. In celebration of Africa Day 2021, here are five areas where the United States’ partnership with the African continent has led to tremendous progress in recent years.

  • May 19, 2021
    Blog

    In Malawi, Harnessing the Power of Proper Sanitation to Keep Girls in School

    Guest Contributor – Godfrey Kalamula in Global Development | May 19, 2021

    In Malawi, poor sanitation, space limitations and inadequate provision for personal hygiene at schools, paired with societal norms and expectations, cause girls to abandon school far too prematurely. In result, girls are left uneducated which often leads to early pregnancy, marriage, and/or new HIV infection. To address these significant constraints to girls’ education, USAID is partnering with the Government of Malawi to build more schools and deliver education more equitably through the five-year Secondary Education Expansion for Development (SEED) project.

  • May 12, 2021
    Blog

    Rising to the Challenge: America’s Global COVID-19 Response

    in Diplomacy, Global Development | May 12, 2021

    America’s diplomacy and development tools are on the front lines of the global COVID-19 response—and during today’s hearing on COVID-19 and the international response, both Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee agreed that U.S. global engagement is a critical component of our country’s own health and economic recovery.

  • April 28, 2021
    Blog

    How U.S. Development & Diplomacy Fared in Biden’s First 100 Days

    in Diplomacy, Global Development | April 28, 2021

    Friday, April 30th marks the Biden Administration’s first 100 days in office. While the Administration’s next 100 days are likely to be as critical as the first, here’s a look back at how America’s development and diplomacy tools have been deployed to address many of the complex global challenges affecting the world’s most vulnerable and with impacts to America’s security, prosperity, and safety.

  • April 27, 2021
    Blog

    U.S. Pledges to Help India as COVID Outbreak Reaches Record High

    Joan Steiger in Global Development | April 27, 2021

    Yesterday, the Biden Administration announced that it would share over 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines to countries around the world—with India included as a potential recipient, since the country is an experiencing a sharp uptick in the number of COVID-related cases and deaths since March. As the COVID-19 crisis continues to devastate the country, there are real concerns that India’s health care system could collapse, and the outbreak could spread to other countries and destabilize the region—prompting the United States and others in the international community to step up to help India respond to this terrible outbreak.

  • April 25, 2021
    Blog

    An Integrated Effort to Combat Malaria: A Q&A With ExxonMobil’s Dr. Vicki Weldon

    in Global Development | April 25, 2021

    While death and infection rates have drastically declined since 2000, thanks in part to integrated efforts by government, business and civil society, malaria is remarkably resilient. The mosquito-borne illness has been eliminated in many countries – like the U.S. – yet for millions of people around the world, it continues to be a daily challenge. Experts like Dr. Vicki Weldon, ExxonMobil’s Global Medical Director, have been part of a broad and sustained effort to combat this illness.

  • April 23, 2021
    Blog

    Leaders Summit on Climate: Development and Diplomacy Leading U.S. Climate Action

    Zach Cohen, Jessica Ritchie in Diplomacy, Global Development | April 23, 2021

    At this week’s Leaders Summit on Climate hosted at the White House, President Joe Biden underscored the need for international cooperation on the climate crisis, stating “No nation can solve this crisis on our own…all of us — and particularly those of us who represent the world’s largest economies — we have to step up.” This consensus was similarly reflected throughout the two-day Summit, as leaders from more than 40 countries alongside U.S. cabinet officials, business leaders, representatives from multilateral organizations, and even Pope Francis, discussed the immense challenge climate change poses and the cooperation needed to confront it.