Foreign aid

HealthPolitics & PolicyScience & Technology

US health deals offer Africa money — and take something far more valuable

Eighteen African countries have signed bilateral health deals with the US — but experts flag serious conditions in the fine print
A laboratory technician in white protective gear and a face mask holds a rack of test tubes in a bright, modern molecular biology lab in Mozambique. In the background, another technician works at a large diagnostic machine.
HealthOpinion

Global Fund: after decades of progress against AIDS, TB and malaria, momentum falters

At a time when the world is on the verge of making incredible progress in reducing AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria-related deaths, some partners have stepped back from the fight
A mother, carrying a baby on her back, getting a vaccine from a USAID mobile clinic in South Africa
CommoditiesEconomy

IMF upgrades sub‑Saharan Africa forecast as reforms blunt external shocks

The IMF has raised its growth forecast for sub-Saharan Africa, crediting improved macroeconomic management in several large economies and resilience amid external pressures
An outdoor discussion, with two female panellists seated in the chair, and other female holding a microphone and standing, as well as an audience
Health

Here’s how the global health system can build back better after US aid cuts

By the time the Department of Government Efficiency came for USAID, many Americans viewed global health as a relic of the early response to HIV/Aids, an excuse for other governments to spend less on health
A mother, carrying a baby on her back, getting a vaccine from a USAID mobile clinic in South Africa
HealthPolitics & Policy

How can Uganda’s tax system be reformed to free up small businesses?

Uganda is one of the countries that's been hit hardest by recent cuts to international aid, especially with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) being shut down
A female worker at a garments factory
HealthPolitics & Policy

Trump’s foreign aid cuts will cripple Africa’s HIV/AIDS response

US funding to fight HIV/AIDS has saved 26 million lives since 2003, with the greatest benefits felt in sub-Saharan Africa
Exterior shot of the CDC-supported National Health Laboratory and Diagnostic Services facility in Kampala, Uganda, 2022. U.S. Ambassador Natalie A. Brown and others walk towards the entrance. A PEPFAR flag is prominently displayed.
Politics & Policy

Is China displacing traditional aid donors in Africa? The evidence suggests not

In research recently published, I draw on new evidence to test the claim that China is eroding the bargaining power of traditional donors in Africa.
Politics & Policy

Trump vs Africa: how the continent can counter destructive policies

It’s possible that Trump will opt for an American retreat from the bipartisan development, humanitarian, and security assistance goals of previous administrations.