Devex

The people running global health are getting candid about what needs to change. The architect of PEPFAR says the old aid model is finished. The @gatesfoundation 's chief strategist says the sector is losing legitimacy outside its own echo chamber. The head of @gavialliance says we've run out of time to debate reform. A Kenyan doctor who built a national oxygen network says grants as we knew them aren't coming back. We asked 11 of the most influential people in global health what the sector needs to hear, right before the world's health ministers land in Geneva for the World Health Assembly next week. Read their hard truths via the link in bio. #globalhealth #WHA

As humanitarian needs rise and funding shrinks, collaboration has been widely presented as the way forward in the sector. Across U.N. agencies and humanitarian organizations, there is broad recognition that working together can unlock efficiencies and reduce duplication. Yet, despite this progress, collaboration remains uneven and difficult to scale. New research led by Nathan Kunz of the @unifribourg and supported by HELP Logistics highlights a central challenge facing the system today: The issue is no longer whether organizations are willing to collaborate; it is how to translate that willingness into consistent, systemwide practice. With supply chains representing approximately 75% of total response costs, the stakes for interoperability are high. Why does the sector continue to struggle to scale these solutions, and why is technology not the simple answer many assume it to be? In a new op-ed, Kunz, Jonas Stumpf, and Aditya Muralidharan tackle these questions and explore the path toward systemwide interoperability. Check the link in our bio to read the full piece. Sponsored by HELP Logistics #Interoperability #HumanitarianAid #SupplyChainCollaboration #AidEfficiency

Devex’s Ayenat Mersie is in Kigali for the Africa CEO Forum, the largest international meeting of the African private sector. She shares the key conversations she has been tracking as Rwandan President Paul Kagame calls for Africa to retain control over its critical minerals. #ACF2026 #criticalminerals #globaldevelopment #kagame

In a compelling new essay for Devex, U.K. Minister of State for International Development and Africa Jennifer Chapman (@foreignanddevelopmentoffice ) argues that with an annual financing gap of $1.3 trillion in Africa alone, continuing to work in the same way and expecting different results is “no longer defensible.” As economic integration is increasingly used as a weapon of geopolitical competition, the global community must work harder than ever to achieve progress through cooperation, co-creation, and coalition. In the lead-up to next week's Global Partnerships Conference, hosted by the U.K. together with South Africa, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (@ciffchild ), and British International Investment, Baroness Chapman outlines a future where international development and diplomacy are aligned to deliver both impact and influence. For the U.K., this means being willing to convene without controlling, shifting power and resources closer to the countries and local leaders best placed to deliver. By focusing on strengthening domestic systems and unlocking private finance, these new partnerships ensure that low- and middle-income countries act as stakeholders rather than spectators in their own development paradigms. This is the fourth piece produced in partnership with the Children's Investment Fund Foundation as part of our new series, The Next Frontier: Reimagining Financing for Development and Growth, convening diverse global voices to redefine collaboration and unlock capital for future growth. Read the full essay and explore the series via the link in our bio. #DevexSeries #GlobalDevelopment #DevelopmentFinance #DevelopmentPolicy

As stakeholders navigate shifting priorities, workforce constraints, and rising expectations, private-sector partnerships and the growing role of data, digital infrastructure, and AI are reshaping healthcare and life sciences. Join Seema Verma, executive vice president and general manager of health and life sciences at @oracle , in conversation with Alan Robbins, executive vice president and cofounder of Devex, at #DevexImpactHouse @ WHA to explore how emerging technologies can strengthen health systems, improve decision-making and collaboration, and enable personalized care. The discussion will examine the biggest barriers preventing health innovation from scaling, the role of interoperable and connected systems in improving patient outcomes, and how governments, providers, and technology leaders can responsibly deploy AI to strengthen efficiency, access, and resilience across global healthcare systems. 📍 Geneva + On-demand | 📅 May 21, 2026 Register to join via the link in our bio. #GlobalHealth #DigitalHealth #AIinHealthcare #DevexWHA79

People living in lower-income countries shoulder 70% of the global disease burden but receive just 15% of global health spending — highlighting a persistent imbalance in how healthcare is financed and delivered worldwide. Launched in 2022 by @pfizerinc , the Accord for a Healthier World was created to help address this challenge by expanding access to its portfolio of medicines and vaccines, for which it has global rights, on a not-for-profit basis, while working with governments and partners to tackle the underlying barriers to delivery. Three and a half years into implementation, the accord is beginning to demonstrate measurable progress. Join Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, minister of health of Ghana; Ali Besri, vice president, emerging markets access at @pfizerinc and global health lead for the Accord for a Healthier World; and moderator Kate Warren of Devex at #DevexImpactHouse @ WHA to discuss how public-private partnerships can move beyond access commitments to become integrated drivers of healthcare delivery and resilience. The session will explore practical lessons from the accord’s first 3.5 years, including how strengthening workforce capacity, supply chains, and health systems is essential to expanding sustainable access to medicines and vaccines and improving patient outcomes. 📍 Geneva + On-demand | 📅 May 21, 2026 🎟️ Register via the link in our bio and select “The Changing Global Health Architecture” track. #DevexWHA79 #GlobalHealth #HealthEquity #PublicPrivatePartnerships

Lung diseases don’t just affect individuals — they impact families, communities, and entire health systems. Yet, despite claiming more than 18 million lives a year, lung diseases remain chronically underfunded and overlooked.   The WHA lung health forum — hosted by @kementeriankesihatanmalaysia , convened by Devex, and organized in collaboration with and funded by @astrazeneca — will bring together global leaders one year after member states adopted a landmark WHA resolution on integrated lung health, led by the government of Malaysia. The forum will explore how countries can translate the WHA lung health resolution into measurable progress through stronger prevention, earlier diagnosis, improved chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer care, as well as a wider-lens discussion on the importance of lung health equity to reach high-risk populations. Speakers include Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad, minister of health of Malaysia; Dr. Buthaina Al Muhairi, head of NCD and mental health department, @mohapuae ; Dr. Kamal Amzan, CEO, @ihhhealthcaremalaysia ; José Luis Castro, @who director-general’s special envoy for chronic respiratory diseases; Dr. Noraryana Hassan, director of the Disease Control Division, @kementeriankesihatanmalaysia ; Dorothy Keefe, CEO, cancer__australia; Hossam Masoud, professor of pulmonology, @cairo__university ; Elias Mossialos, Cheng Yu Tung chair in global health and director of LSE Health, @londonschoolofeconomics ; Iskra Reic, executive vice president, International, @astrazeneca ; Riley Sanders, head of government relations and public affairs, @gaapporg ; and Enkhuun Byambadorj, cofounder and director of operations, @breathemongolia – Clean Air Coalition and a Young Health Programme impact fellow at AstraZeneca. 📍 Geneva | 📅 May 18 Register via the link in our bio to join. #DevexWHA79 #GlobalHealth #LungHealth #LungCancer

Nearly 500 million people worldwide live with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, known as COPD — now the third-leading cause of mortality globally. Without immediate interventions, the economic impact of COPD alone is projected to reach $4.3 trillion by 2050, driven largely by lost productivity and late-stage hospitalizations. Join Devex, @sanofi , and @regeneron at #DevexImpactHouse @ WHA for a high-level convening focused on closing the “execution gap.” WHA79 marks a critical first-year accountability milestone for the landmark 2025 respiratory resolutions. The conversation will focus on how to move past raising awareness toward the technical engineering of health systems — operationalizing the four pillars of the NCD political declaration: 1️⃣ Scaling up prevention 2️⃣ Improving access to early diagnosis 3️⃣ Expanding access to effective treatment 4️⃣ Implementing long-term monitoring for high-risk patients We will explore how national implementation pathways, sustainable financing, and primary care-led models can turn political signatures into measurable health outcomes. Speakers include José Luis Castro of @who , Ricardo Baptista Leite of @unite_mpnetwork and @healthai_global , Laura Gutierrez of @sanofi , Riley Sanders of the @gaapporg , and Siân Williams of the @ipcrg_respiratory . 📍 May 20, 2026 | Geneva + on-demand 👉 Register now via the link in our bio. #DevexWHA79 #GlobalHealth #LungHealth

Research from Kenvue’s “A New View of Care” report reveals a major cultural shift: 88% of consumers globally now believe their personal care routines positively impact their overall health and well-being. Beyond an individual lifestyle choice, self-care is becoming a strategic element of global healthcare systems’ sustainability. At #DevexImpactHouse @ WHA, Devex and @kenvue will convene global health leaders to explore how evidence-based self-care can support prevention, strengthen health systems, and help address growing challenges, including NCDs, workforce shortages, misinformation, and the push toward universal health coverage. Join us in Geneva on May 21 for a discussion on why self-care should be viewed as a public health priority — not just a personal practice — featuring Gabriel Torres-Brown, vice president of global public & government affairs at @kenvue . Register via the link in our bio. #DevexWHA79 #GlobalHealth #SelfCare #HealthPolicy

Despite global progress, maternal, newborn, and child mortality rates remain unacceptably high in many parts of the world — and with 2030 fast approaching, the pressure is growing to turn commitments into measurable action. Hosted by Devex in partnership with @msdformothers , and in collaboration with Child Survival Action (CSA), Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE), @unfpa , and @unicef , this session at #DevexImpactHouse @ WHA will bring together global and country leaders to assess where progress stands and what must happen next. Anchored in the latest 2026 EWENE and CSA progress report, the discussion will explore how the global health community can accelerate progress toward SDG targets 3.1 and 3.2 through stronger accountability, country-level implementation, financing, and cross-sector collaboration while creating space for member states, multilateral organizations, and health leaders to share practical lessons, implementation challenges, and partnership strategies needed to sustain momentum toward 2030. 📍 May 20, 2026 | Geneva + on-demand 👉 Register via the link in our bio. #DevexWHA79 #GlobalHealth #MaternalHealth #ChildHealth

Public health financing is increasingly volatile, while expectations for innovation, scale, and rapid delivery continue to rise. As funding cycles get shorter, with volumes and signals becoming less predictable, questions are mounting around how to sustain long-term progress toward malaria elimination and support a renewed focus on country sovereignty. At #DevexImpactHouse @ WHA, Amar Ali, CEO of Vestergaard, and Sherwin Charles, CEO of @goodbyemalaria , will join Devex Executive Vice President & Executive Editor Kate Warren to explore what is required, both from and for the private sector, to eliminate malaria within this generation. The conversation will explore how governments, donors, and businesses can work together to translate ambition into durable markets that reward long‑term investment, operational resilience, and continuous innovation. 📅 May 20, 2026 📍 Geneva + on-demand Check the link in our bio to register. #DevexWHA79 #GlobalHealth #Malaria #GlobalDevelopment

Around 600 million people across Africa still lack access to electricity — a challenge that continues to limit economic growth, industrial development, and opportunity across the continent. In this special episode of This Week in Global Development, @africa50infra CEO Alain Ebobissé discusses why sustainable energy in Africa must be viewed not only as a development priority, but also as a scalable commercial opportunity capable of attracting global and African institutional capital. The conversation explores the urgent need for investment in electricity transmission infrastructure, the role of private sector participation in expanding grid capacity, and why building “institution-grade” energy assets could help accelerate electrification at scale. 🎥 Watch the full conversation via the link in our bio. Sponsored by Africa50 #InfrastructureInvestment #CapitalMobilization #EnergyTransition #ClimateFinance