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  • December 18, 2020

    Eleven trends that will shape the future of development

    Written by
    Patrick Fine, Chief Executive Officer, FHI 360

    We started the 2020 season of A Deeper Look by discussing trends that are shaping the future of human development. Little did we know the extent to which a global pandemic would shake and shape our world and set the course for human development work for years to come. While many major trends have been emerging for years, COVID-19 has shifted their trajectories and amplified challenges in ways that are expected to slow — and in some cases reverse — development progress.

    Nevertheless, when I asked each of my guests this season whether they were pessimistic or optimistic about the future, I heard almost unanimous optimism and faith in human resilience, ingenuity and adaptability.

    This year’s conversations with leaders, innovators and humanitarians yielded valuable insights and observations. Here are some of the key takeaways from this season of looking at the shape of things to come:

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  • November 30, 2020

    Pandemic preparedness: Four strategies to keep HIV programs on track during COVID-19

    Written by
    Hally Mahler, Director, HIV Programs, FHI 360

    A little more than a month after World AIDS Day 2019, COVID-19 started to impact our HIV programs in Asia as countries like Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam began quarantine. Community testing ground to a halt. People living with HIV worried about access to their medications. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) enrollment slowed. COVID-19 testing diverted laboratories from HIV services. By March 2020, the rest of the world was equally impacted. FHI 360’s HIV programs were determined to continue serving people, but there were deep concerns. We were not alone, of course; the global HIV community was facing COVID-19 together. But with so much uncertainty, we wondered: Would COVID-19 substantially set back hard-won gains toward epidemic control? Did we have the tools in hand, or could we develop the tools, to weather this crisis?

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  • November 23, 2020

    It’s time to refocus on the global response to pediatric HIV

    Written by
    Christian Pitter, Director, Infectious Diseases and Health Systems, FHI 360

    We have come a long way from the haunting, early days of the HIV pandemic when hopelessness characterized the situation for children living with HIV. Without treatment available, approximately half of those children were destined to die before their second birthday. The global public health community did not know if it could halt transmission of HIV from mother to child. There were no effective, child-friendly formulations of antiretroviral therapy (ART).

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  • November 19, 2020

    The future of global development: The power of girls

    Written by
    Patrick Fine, Chief Executive Officer, FHI 360

    COVID-19 has highlighted inequalities worldwide and is showing us that our systems — and the progress we have celebrated — may not be as resilient as we thought. This month’s guest on A Deeper Look podcast, Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), incisively shines a light on the strengths and weaknesses in development work revealed by the pandemic.

    Dr. Kanem is one of the great leaders on the international stage who speaks with moral clarity and forcefulness on sensitive issues of sexual and reproductive health and women’s rights. She discusses the many ways she and UNFPA are meeting this year’s extraordinary challenges and shares her views on the importance of continued progress on gender equality in the face of the issues presented by the global pandemic. Dr. Kanem sees this moment in history as an unexpected opportunity to engage a new generation in finding ways to address systemic barriers to gender equality and social equity.

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  • November 19, 2020

    Eight actions to reduce gender-based violence during COVID-19

    Written by
    Kim Dixon, Senior Technical Advisor for Safeguarding, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Hub, FHI 360

    Since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have reported alarming rates of violence, exploitation and other abuse, especially intimate partner violence among women and other marginalized groups. UN Women has warned that, as countries continue lockdowns and sheltering-at-home measures, a shadow pandemic of violence is growing. More than ever, the United Nation’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an important opportunity for international development organizations to commit to identifying ways to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation and other abuse in the communities where humanitarian and development projects are being implemented.

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  • November 5, 2020

    Ask girls what skills they want!

    Written by
    Sagri Singh, Senior Advisor, Gender Equality, Programme Division, UNICEF
    Andrea M. Bertone, Director, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, FHI 360
    Natasha Harris-Harb, Youth Engagement Advisor, United Nations Girls Education Initiative

    As the world marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, the global community must take action and be bold in realizing our collective vision of a gender-equal world by intentionally investing in and advancing a girl-centered approach to development. We believe that girls should be front and center at driving solutions to the problems they face, thereby increasing the pipeline of women leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers for tomorrow.

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  • October 28, 2020

    Five ways to keep COVID-19 messaging relevant this fall

    Written by
    Thomas Lehman, Director, Research, Social Marketing and Communication, FHI 360
    Rebecca Ledsky, Research and Evaluation Technical Advisor, Social Marketing and Communication, FHI 360

    This fall, we face new challenges as COVID-19 overlaps with the flu season and continues to spread across the United States and the world. We must stay vigilant about protecting ourselves, our friends and families, and others around us. At the same time, people are experiencing pandemic fatigue and need new reasons and reinforcements to keep up protective behaviors.

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  • October 22, 2020

    The future of global development: The critical role of financial systems

    Written by
    Patrick Fine, Chief Executive Officer, FHI 360

    The sheer volume of financial resources flowing into and out of developing countries has exploded over the last two decades. To keep pace, international banking and financial standards have matured, requiring more sophistication in institutions that oversee economic systems. This month, I sat down with Andrew Spindler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Financial Services Volunteer Corps, to talk about the evolution of frontier markets in recent years. From combating corruption and money laundering to mobilizing domestic resources, Andrew shares insights about the major factors and trends that are shaping development finance in increasingly interdependent global markets.

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  • October 7, 2020

    What can the United States learn from other countries to tackle disparities?

    Written by
    Otto Chabikuli, Director, Global Health, Population and Nutrition, FHI 360
    Timothy Mastro, Chief Science Officer, FHI 360

    As the COVID-19 pandemic swept over the United States, the stark observation that African-American, Hispanic and Native American populations were disproportionately affected was met with justified shock and anger. After all, the United States has the world’s largest economy, a high standard of living and a sophisticated health care system and is often held up as a model for many countries.

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  • September 17, 2020

    The future of global development: Trending toward a more urban, corporate and digital world

    Written by
    Patrick Fine, Chief Executive Officer, FHI 360

    The global pandemic and ensuing social and economic disruptions have led to significant uncertainty about the future and the need for global actors to adapt. While we may not have a crystal ball to show us what is to come, this month’s guest on A Deeper Look podcast, Lars Gustavsson, may be the next best thing. Lars studies global issues and phenomena to predict megatrends and their accelerants, so that we can effectively plan for and respond to them.

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