DevelopmentAid Dialogues

Neglected tropical diseases affect more than 1.5 billion people, close to one in six worldwide, yet they remain among the least visible and mediatized health problems on the planet. The medicines to treat most of them already exist, often for less than US$0.50 a dose. In this episode of DevelopmentAid Dialogues, host Hisham Allam speaks with Dr. Wendy Harrison, CEO of Unlimit Health, about why that arithmetic has not been enough, and what it will take to end diseases that feed on poverty and ...

Artificial intelligence is changing the way we think about healthcare, offering new ways to connect, diagnose, and support patients—especially through telemedicine. More people than ever are speaking to their doctor from home, getting advice online, and sharing data from their devices. It’s fast, it’s convenient, and it’s full of promise. But is it enough? Where does technology stop and real human insight begin? In a recent episode of Development Aid Dialogues, host Hisham Allam sat dow...

The global humanitarian landscape is marked by stark contrasts: while some crises like Ukraine dominate international attention and resources, others such as Sudan, the Sahel, and Haiti struggle in the shadows. In this episode of the DevelopmentAid Dialogues podcast, host Hisham Allam had a lightning interview with Désirée Ketabchi, Head of Humanitarian Action & Advocacy at Oxfam Belgium and a Brussels-based expert with experience at the European Parliament and Première Urgence Internatio...

The hard truth of modern humanitarian action was this: access had closed, risks had risen, and remote delivery had become unavoidable. In this episode of the DevelopmentAid Dialogues podcast (Season 3), host Hisham Allam spoke with Ina Bluemel—a veteran of emergency health, WASH, and logistics leadership across WHO, IFRC, and multiple NGOs—about what it took to keep aid effective when workers could not set foot on site, frameworks felt rigid, and trust was under strain. Bluemel set the ...

Devastating wildfires and intense heatwaves are sweeping across continents—from Indonesia’s burning rainforests and Canada’s parched woodlands to Latin America and, of course, Europe’s Mediterranean coasts. The scale and frequency of these disasters are reminders that climate change is no longer a distant threat, but a global emergency demanding action at every level. In this episode of DevelopmentAid Dialogues podcast, host Hisham Allam speaks with Robin Degron, Director of Plan Bleu (...

“Localization” has become one of the most repeated terms in international development—but is it a genuine shift, or just a new label for old practices? In this episode of DevelopmentAid Dialogues podcast, host Hisham Allam speaks with Dr. Duncan Green, Professor in Practice at the London School of Economics and longtime Oxfam strategist, about why shifting power in aid is harder—and more essential—than most are willing to admit. “Localization means different things to different people,” Green...

In this 26th episode of DevelopmentAid Dialogues podcast, host Hisham Allam interviews Stefan Dercon, Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford and author of Gambling on Development, about the global consequences of recent aid cuts by major donor countries, particularly the United States. As foreign aid budgets shrink and populist politics gain traction, the discussion delved into the complex motivations driving these cuts and their far-reaching consequences for vulnerable comm...

As foreign aid budgets shrink across Western nations, the global development sector is confronting a moment of reckoning. In this episode of DevelopmentAid Dialogues, host Hisham Allam speaks with Katri Bertram—a global health and development expert with two decades of experience spanning international organizations, NGOs, and government institutions. She is currently the International Director of Impact and Advocacy at Light for the World, focusing on disability inclusion and eye health. Her...