- The World Health Assembly has appointed the first African, Tedros Adhanom, as Director-General of the World Health Organisation. Dr Adhanom will take over a WHO under siege from criticism of its slow response to the Ebola epidemic and revelations that the agency has spent more than 10% of its $2 billion budget on travel in 2015 and 2016, more than it spends on combating many diseases.
- With the UK election approaching this week, The Guardian has summarised each party’s aid and development commitments.
- The Washington Post takes a detailed look at the White House’s proposed cuts to the State Department budget, which includes aid spending.
- Branko Milanovic takes a look at One Belt One Road, harkening it to a pre-Washington consensus time of international development.
- Bob McMullan examines the election of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s President in 2012, discussing how it broke the mould by adopting meritocracy instead of tradition, and what lessons can be learned for Australia.
- Freakonomics has a recent podcast asking whether the rich really are less generous than the poor. (The answer, unsurprisingly, is that it’s complicated.)
- In the latest episode or EconTalk Russ Roberts has a wide-ranging conversation with Lant Pritchett on poverty and economic growth.
Aid and development links: WHO's new boss, US aid cuts, UK election and more
Dr Adhanom will take over a WHO under siege from criticism for both its slow response to the Ebola epidemic and its big travel budget.
WHO's new director general Tedros Adhanom, (right), with World Bank president Jim Yong Kim (Photo: Flickr/ World Bank)
Published 5 Jun 2017
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