Global Progress in the AI Era: Shalina Wadhwani: Start with the problem, not the AI tool

This week we learned that Dr. Mark Dybul will take over The Global Fund amid significant changes in global health, including declining traditional foreign aid and calls for institutions to consolidate their work. Having already led The Global Fund between 2013 and 2017, Dybul returns to the institution at a pivotal moment. We discuss what his appointment could mean for the future trajectory of the institution, along with the reaction from the broader global health community.One year into its rollout, the America First Global Health Strategy has fundamentally reshaped how the United States delivers global health assistance. Although U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jeremy Lewin have served as its most visible champions, executing this overhaul has relied on a broad network of officials operating out of the spotlight. We take a closer look at the key behind-the-scenes players driving this strategy forward.To dig into these stories, and others, senior editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with reporters Jenny Lei Ravelo and Sara Jerving for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.

In a live episode of Global Progress in the AI Era, Shalina Wadhwani discussed what Wadhwani AI has learned from building tools with governments — and what she hopes a new generation of AI philanthropists will fund.Shalina Wadhwani spent years working at digital health startups before joining the family office her father, Sunil Wadhwani, had built. Now, as the next-gen philanthropist assumes leadership of the Wadhwani Family Office’s work, she is helping guide efforts such as Wadhwani AI, which uses artificial intelligence to improve health, education, and livelihoods in India and beyond. Check out Cutting Edge Issues in Development Thinking & Practice:https://cuttingedgeissues.transistor.fm/

As governments face growing pressure to modernize public services and rebuild citizen trust, artificial intelligence offers new opportunities to improve service delivery. But turning AI experimentation into measurable, citizen-centered impact requires more than new technology. It calls for strong implementation, cross-sector collaboration, and a clear focus on human needs and accountability.In this special edition episode of This Week in Global Development, sponsored by Salesforce, Devex Co-founder and Executive Vice President Alan Robbins sits down with Wendy R. Anderson, senior vice president of government and global public affairs at Salesforce. Together, they explore how governments can move beyond AI pilots to build lasting institutional capabilities, where AI is already improving public services, and why trust, human judgment, and mission-driven partnerships are essential to delivering meaningful outcomes for citizens.

This week, we take a look at the latest in the U.N. secretary-general race. In the latest informal straw poll to gauge support for the next U.N. secretary-general, Costa Rican diplomat Rebeca Grynspan secured the nine Security Council votes needed to advance but faced opposition from two permanent members — meaning the threat of a veto remains. The race is far from over, as new candidates can still enter at any point in the process. We also contemplate what kind of secretary-general the Trump administration would want and support. During the conversation, we also discussed the speech of the U.K.’s foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, at the World Bank-IMF annual meetings in Bangkok. Miliband outlined key commitments ahead of the U.K.’s presidency of the Group of 20 leading economies next year, including tackling debt and the illicit financial flows that hinder tax collection in the global south.What would happen if a U.N. secretary-general is not picked before António Guterres’ term expires? And is addressing debt back on the development agenda?To answer these questions and to dig into these stories, Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Managing Editor Anna Gawel and Senior Global Reporter Colum Lynch for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. The threat of antimalarial drug resistance is growing in Eastern and Southern Africa, where the malaria parasite is rapidly adapting to existing treatments. With WHO modeling showing that a full-blown resistance crisis could lead to nearly 16 million additional cases and 80,000 deaths annually, Dr. Martin Fitchet of Medicines for Malaria Venture and Joy Phumaphi of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance sit down with Devex’s Alan Robbins to discuss why proactive R&D funding must be treated as an immediate global health priority.This spotlight segment presented in partnership with Medicines for Malaria Venture explores next-generation pipeline solutions, including the novel candidate ganaplacide-lumefantrine, single-dose cures, and long-acting seasonal preventatives capable of protecting communities with a single shot. Shifting from reactive crisis response to sustained investment in medical innovation and health infrastructure, both leaders urge global partners and heads of state to act now to prevent a potentially catastrophic resurgence.

Haiti has spent years dominating international headlines almost exclusively through the lens of political crisis and humanitarian emergency. But behind the headlines lies a resilient ecosystem of local organizations that continue to drive change. Recorded live at Devex Impact House in New York City on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, this special episode of the This Week in Global Development podcast asks a fundamental question: What happens when international funders stop trying to “fix” Haiti and instead ask local leaders how to support what already exists?Host Margaret Richardson of Devex sits down with Karen Ansara of the Network of Engaged International Donors, Gael Pressoir of CHIBAS and the Haiti Food System Alliance, and Beatrice Duret Gentil of GECA Foundation to discuss how philanthropy can move away from short-term emergency interventions toward deep partnership. Together, they explore successful models such as the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s $120 million Pockets of Hope campaign, the importance of building local food sovereignty, and how investing in social cohesion and women entrepreneurs builds long-term economic prosperity.Tune in to discover how collaborative donor networks can mitigate risk, build trust on the ground, and shift the narrative toward true Haitian-led development. Subscribe to Devex on YouTube for more global development insights, and listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Spreaker, or your favorite podcast app.

This week we are coming to you live from Devex Impact House, our summit on the sidelines of the World Bank and IMF annual meetings. We unpack the bank’s push for “small AI” in developing countries to avoid the considerable costs of building data center architecture, while weighing the risks of deepening technological dependency on the U.S. and China.Alongside exploring the institution’s drive for private capital mobilization, we also note a shift in how it approaches climate change. Despite a year of extreme weather emergencies, the World Bank has dropped its 45% finance target in favor of broader language around energy security and resilience.To dig into these stories, and others, Devex’s Adva Saldinger sits down with Jesse Chase-Lubitz for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.Amid declining public trust in health institutions, population-wide policy shifts offer immediate, impactful health outcomes that go beyond traditional health care implementation. This spotlight segment of This Week in Global Development, recorded live on the sidelines of the World Health Summit in Berlin, explores how global tobacco control provides a proven operational framework for defending health equity today.Hosted in partnership with the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Devex Co-founder and Executive Vice President Alan Robbins sits down with President and CEO of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Yolonda Richardson to discuss how policy reform serves as a foundational blueprint for global health equity. They discuss critical lessons learned from the movement to tackle modern challenges such as vaccine hesitancy, opposition to public health policies, and commercial determinants of health. For more, please visit https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/.

This week, the Devex team is on the ground in Berlin for the World Health Summit. We explore how this year’s event stands apart from previous iterations and what makes it distinct from the World Health Assembly.During the conversation, we explore a major theme of the event: the intersection of global health and security. With geopolitical tensions rising, we examine how organizations are struggling to deliver healthcare in active war zones such as Sudan and Ukraine. We also go through our interview with Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya about the ongoing challenge of containing the Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.To dig into these conversations, Devex Associate Editor Thomas Cserép sits down with global health reporters Sara Jerving and Andrew Green for this special live recording of the This Week in Global Development podcast.Sign up to Devex CheckUp:https://www.devex.com/newsletters/devex-checkup

In this special edition of the This Week in Global Development podcast, produced in partnership with the Global Disability Fund, Devex co-founder and Executive Vice President Alan Robbins sits down with the fund’s director Ola Abualghaib for a candid, personal conversation about why disability inclusion keeps getting treated as an add-on and what it would actually take to build it into the system from the start.This content is sponsored as part of The Inclusion Dividend — a series exploring how those who shape, finance, and deliver development, climate, and humanitarian action can build disability inclusion into their investments and decisions from the outset. Coming soon.

More than 90% of global vision loss is preventable or treatable with low-cost interventions such as cataract surgery or prescription glasses. Yet 1.1 billion people worldwide currently lack access to basic eye care — a number projected to double by 2050 without strategic action.In this special edition episode of the This Week in Global Development podcast, sponsored by The Fred Hollows Foundation, Kate Warren, executive vice president and executive editor at Devex, sits down with The Fred Hollows Foundation’s CEO, Ross Piper, and director of strategic initiatives, Amanda Davis. Together, they explore how eye health can move out of clinical silos and onto the agenda of heads of state.The conversation examines the compelling economic case for vision care, noting that every $1 invested yields a 28-fold return in economic productivity. Piper and Davis discuss innovative financing models such as the World Bank-backed Vision Catalyst Fund, practical strategies for integrating eye care into primary healthcare systems and school screenings, and targeted approaches to eliminate gender disparities in vision loss.

This week we are at Building Bridges, a conference aiming to bring different stakeholders together to build investable solutions to global challenges. We discuss the key topics at the summit, including how the private sector can be effectively engaged in social impact and making financial instruments accessible for smaller businesses.We are also looking ahead to the World Health Summit, which will center around the theme “From Crisis to Resilience: Innovating for Health.” From hearing from candidates for the WHO director-general role to the growing intersection of health and security, we highlight the key conversations and innovations we will be tracking at the conference.Devex will also be at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings next week, where AI will be on the agenda, as well as how these financial institutions are responding to rising global fertilizer and energy prices.To dig into these stories and others, Devex Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with reporters Adva Saldinger and Andrew Green for the latest edition of our weekly podcast series.Request an invite to attend Devex Impact House @ The World Bank/IMF annual meetings here:https://pages.devex.com/world-bank-imf-annual-meetings-2026.html