Many interventions proven to save the lives of mothers and newborns already exist, yet remain underfunded. Akhil Bansal argues philanthropy should both scale what works and support innovations that address the biggest remaining gaps. go.cgdev.org/4xfMgUK

Donors can increase the benefits of labour migration by investing in skills before workers leave home. @helen-dempster.bsky.social, Surendra Yadav, and Régis Blanc make the case for pre-departure training and internationally recognized qualifications. go.cgdev.org/3Tu1SFK

A 9:1 Return on Investment: Why Donors Should Invest in Skills Before Migration

Many donors are investing in programmes to make labour migration safer, more regular, and more beneficial. In this blog, we argue that they should be investing in providing prospective migrants with t...

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The AI boom could unlock $37B–$100B in new annual philanthropy. @charlesjkenny.bsky.social argues a maximum vaccination strategy, developing and rolling out vaccines for diseases affecting the world's poorest people, could be one of the most effective investments. https://go.cgdev.org/4yN1su5

Use New Philanthropy for a Maximum Vaccination Strategy

Nan Ransohoff suggests AI-related wealth may add $37 to $100 billion per year in philanthropic spending in the near future. This blog suggest that support for a maximum vaccination strategy focused on...

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Development finance institutions (DFIs) are being asked to do more, but their business models haven't kept pace. Samantha Attridge and Matthew Guttentag argue policymakers should define what each DFI is for before expanding mandates, targets, or financing tools. https://go.cgdev.org/4yP85w7

New Ambitions, Old Business Models: Have We Got DFI Reform Backwards?

We’ve both spent a lot of time over the past year in conferences and roundtables asking some version of the same question: what comes next for development finance? The same theme came through in a rec...

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After criticism from scientists affiliated with the International Lead Association, CGD's Lee Crawfurd, Theo Mitchell, and James Hu explain why they believe the evidence continues to support action on unsafe battery recycling. go.cgdev.org/4hBb3y3

China's Belt and Road Initiative is changing. As sovereign lending for public infrastructure declines, @charlesjkenny.bsky.social argues donors should fill the gap with transparent, sustainable financing. https://go.cgdev.org/4pDTcII

Beyond Belt and Road: Responding to the Evolution of China’s Financing for Infrastructure

China’s transition from financier to debt collector with regard to public infrastructure lending has left the poorest countries with fewer choices when it comes to funding that infrastructure. Expandi...

cgdev.org

Student protests over alleged corruption in India's medical entrance exam reflect deeper concerns about opportunity and accountability. @eeshani.bsky.social explores why the exams are one of India's few pathways to intergenerational mobility and why trust in that system matters. go.cgdev.org/4xaiAbU

Student Protests Over Corruption in India’s Rare Pathway to Intergenerational Mobility

For about six weeks now, thousands of young Indians have camped out in nonviolent protest and hunger strikes in New Delhi. This situation has now hardened into a serious political challenge for the go...

cgdev.org

Can $50 billion a year in new philanthropy be spent well? We think so! @rglenner.bsky.social and I suggest institutions that could move money at that scale toward cost-effective programs.

Center for Global Development@cgdev.org · last wk.

The AI boom could generate $37B–$100B in annual philanthropy. How can it be spent effectively? In the first blog of a new CGD series, @rglenner.bsky.social and @leahrosenzweig.bsky.social examine large-scale implementers, intermediaries, and quick wins. www.cgdev.org/blog/we-can-...

The AI boom could generate $37B–$100B in annual philanthropy. How can it be spent effectively? In the first blog of a new CGD series, @rglenner.bsky.social and @leahrosenzweig.bsky.social examine large-scale implementers, intermediaries, and quick wins. www.cgdev.org/blog/we-can-...

We Can Spend $50 Billion a Year Effectively

On a recent trip to the Bay Area, many people we met shared the same concern: how can we effectively spend the wave of new philanthropic funding which is about to hit? Which organizations can absorb t...

cgdev.org

We're hiring a Research Analyst to join our London office! 💼 Support CGD's work with the Smart Buys Alliance, contributing to research on how cost-effective evidence can strengthen development policy and improve outcomes. 📍 London, UK 📅 Apply by August 6, 5 p.m. BST https://go.cgdev.org/4h4T573

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As @usdagov.bsky.social redesigns non-emergency Food for Peace programs, what does the evidence say works? Megan McGuire, Dean Karlan, and Sam Carter argue for prioritizing cost-effective, evidence-based interventions to strengthen food security and resilience. https://go.cgdev.org/4pEVes6

USDA Should Follow the Evidence on Non-Emergency Food for Peace Programs

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has assumed a larger role in US international food assistance after the shuttering of USAID. Earlier this year, the USDA issued a call for proposals to provide ...

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Join CGD's @helen-dempster.bsky.social at the inaugural #GreenWorks4Africa Forum! Helen will host a side event exploring how training and labour mobility can work together to build green skills, strengthen TVET systems, and support job creation across Africa. 📅 August 13 🎟️ go.cgdev.org/4wZjJCX

🎙️ As aid budgets shrink, can development finance institutions keep pace with growing expectations? On the latest CGD Podcast, Samantha Attridge and Nancy Lee speak with Leslie Maasdorp about the future of development finance, DFI mandates, and mobilizing private capital. go.cgdev.org/4pC0pcs

CGD Podcast: The Future of Development Finance with Leslie Maasdorp

CGD's Sam Attridge and Nancy Lee speak with British International Investment CEO Leslie Maasdorp about balancing national interests with development mandates, setting reachable targets, and strategies...

cgdev.org

As aid budgets shrink, @rglenner.bsky.social and Dean Karlan argue it's time to radically simplify aid. Focus on a small number of interventions rigorously proven to work, deliver them at scale, and avoid layering projects with multiple untested objectives. go.cgdev.org/3RPtsN6

We Advised Different Governments on Aid Spending. Now We’re Calling for Radical Simplification

Smarter aid won’t undo the damage of cuts. Improving service delivery won’t solve the macroeconomic constraints to inclusive growth. But if we focus on what works and keep it simple, we can still make...

cgdev.org

Great to see GAPS building on the GEEAP Smart Buys model to identify the most cost-effective skills interventions. 🔗 GAPS: cgdev.org/GAPS 🔗 GEEAP: geeap.org/resources/

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GEEAP has created an array of resources that were created to increase the quality of evidence and facilitate comparability across funders.

geeap.org

Center for Global Development@cgdev.org · 2w ago

There are now hundreds of studies on skills programs in low- and middle-income countries—but more evidence doesn't always mean clearer answers. The new Global Advisory Panel on Skills (GAPS) aims to identify which interventions work best, for whom, and at what scale. cgdev.org/GAPS

Proud to see the launch of the Global Advisory Panel on Skills. Looking forward to working with partners to build the evidence on what works to strengthen skills, raise incomes, and reduce poverty. @cgdev.org

Center for Global Development@cgdev.org · 2w ago

There are now hundreds of studies on skills programs in low- and middle-income countries—but more evidence doesn't always mean clearer answers. The new Global Advisory Panel on Skills (GAPS) aims to identify which interventions work best, for whom, and at what scale. cgdev.org/GAPS

Health Benefits Packages can help advance Universal Health Coverage—but only if they're delivering on their promise. New CGD research introduces a conceptual framework and maturity assessment tool to help strengthen monitoring of Health Benefits Packages, with case studies. go.cgdev.org/44EBk77

From Paper to Action: How Systematic Monitoring Can Help Health Benefits Packages Deliver on Their Promise

Health Benefits Packages (HBPs) can be a strategic tool to advance Universal Health Coverage. But their impact depends not only on the services included, but also on whether people effectively receive...

cgdev.org

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to financing essential medicines. 💊 Research finds some supply chain financing functions are better managed nationally, while others benefit from decentralization. Strong governance and predictable fiscal transfers are key. go.cgdev.org/44FbEav

Decentralisation of Financing for Essential Medicines and Health Supplies: Finding the Best Fit

Essential medicines are central to quality primary health care, yet availability in public facilities across low- and middle-income countries averages only 8–41 percent. The core problem is not logist...

cgdev.org

There are now hundreds of studies on skills programs in low- and middle-income countries—but more evidence doesn't always mean clearer answers. The new Global Advisory Panel on Skills (GAPS) aims to identify which interventions work best, for whom, and at what scale. cgdev.org/GAPS

As demand for development finance grows and aid budgets shrink, where concessional resources go matters more than ever. A new CGD policy paper argues that reforms to balance between IDA and IBRD could help ensure the world's poorest countries receive the financing they need. go.cgdev.org/4wigZAs

📢 #WereHiring: CGD Europe is looking for a Senior Policy Analyst to join our Europe Programme in London. This is an opportunity for an experienced policy professional with expertise in European development cooperation and development finance. Apply by 18 August: https://go.cgdev.org/4vLnACu

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Apply to Senior Policy Analyst I at Center for Global Development in London, London, United Kingdom.

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.@jessechaselubitz.bsky.social will sit down with Victoria Kyritsi (@eib.org), Alexei Jones (@ecdpm.org), and Mikaela Gavas (@cgdev.org) for a conversation on what the future holds for European aid. Register here⬇️

What Does the Future Hold for European Aid?

What NGOs and partners need to know about EU aid reform.

devex.com

Did you know CGD offers a free online course on digital #FinancialInclusion? Explore our Decision Tree Course to learn a practical, data-driven methodology for identifying the key barriers holding countries back. decisiontree.cgdev.org

Why doesn't a rapid neonatal sepsis test already exist? According to a CGD-@uchi-msa.bsky.social report, the obstacle isn't scientific feasibility, it's the lack of commercial incentives to develop and adopt one. See how the proposed NeoTest mechanism aims to change that: go.cgdev.org/4p9YOdF

The countdown is on. ⏳ We're looking forward to #GreenWorks4Africa, where leaders from across Africa will work together to help shape the continent's green jobs, skills, and investment agenda ahead of COP32. CGD is delighted to be partnering on this important forum. go.cgdev.org/4gInwQc

The UK government has proposed requiring some asylum seekers to repay around £10,000 for the accommodation and support they receive while their claims are processed. But what if allowing asylum seekers to work after six months saved more? go.cgdev.org/4pnMTsT

Asking UK Asylum Seekers to Work Would Net 3.5 Times More Than New £10,000 Charge

The UK’s recently introduced “Immigration and Asylum Bill” proposes that asylum seekers pay £10,000 each towards the cost of their accommodation and support, which the state covers. In this blog, we m...

cgdev.org

Drawing on The Covenant of Water, personal family history, and research, Eeshani Kandpal reflects on how stigma, discriminatory laws, and gender norms continue to shape women's lives—and why changing those norms is essential to improving women's wellbeing. https://go.cgdev.org/4w86wYz

Stigma, Norms, and the Cost of Being a Woman—on marriage, illness, and a novel that got me thinking about both

Abraham Verghese’s novel "The Covenant of Water" tells the story of three generations of one family in Kerala, South India. The book presents itself as being about how medical progress eventually expl...

cgdev.org

The global health architecture is facing a crisis of financing and legitimacy. Could an IDA Health Window at the World Bank help strengthen health systems, better target support to the poorest countries, and reshape the future of global health financing? go.cgdev.org/4bfcDSv

An IDA Health Window: The Future of Global Health Financing

The global health architecture is facing a crisis of both financing and legitimacy. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have had their budgets cut by...

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The US International Development Finance Corporation appears to be entering a new phase. What do the trends reveal about the agency's evolving priorities and what could they mean for the future of US development finance? @ecollinson.bsky.social and Julia Brownell explain: go.cgdev.org/4yhCKC9

DFC’s New Direction? What We Know from FY26 So Far

Earlier this year, we examined the US International Development Finance Corporation’s (DFC) FY25 active project data and found an agency in transition: new commitments had fallen sharply after several...

cgdev.org

The UK's "development reset" marks a new approach to international development. With aid resources under increasing pressure, how should ODA be deployed for the greatest development impact? Mikaela Gavas and Sara Casadevall Bellés explain: go.cgdev.org/3T6ywwU

How the UK should now deploy its overseas aid - Policy Brief

In March 2026, the development minister, Baroness Jenny Chapman, announced a “development reset,” setting out a new approach for the UK's international

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