In this special episode of the This Week in Global Development podcast, we dive into a fast-moving and timely question at the intersection of technology and health care: Can artificial intelligence safely support mental health? 

Hosted in partnership with PATH, Devex Senior Editor for Special Coverage Catherine Cheney speaks with Bilal Mateen, chief AI officer at PATH, Miranda Wolpert, director of mental health at Wellcome, and Christelna Reynecke, COO at the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, about the role AI can play in addressing the global mental health gap. 

Around the world, millions lack access to timely, quality mental health support, and AI tools could help extend care in ways previously out of reach. But the risks are real. We’ve already seen some unregulated tools cross into treatment claims, blur regulatory lines, and, in rare but tragic cases, cause harm. 

This episode explores both sides: The promise of AI to expand access and the safeguards, standards, and oversight required to make that promise real, without leaving patients to absorb the risk.
To hear more, listen to this conversation with Bilal Mateen, Christelna Reynecke, and Miranda Wolpert for the This Week in Global Development podcast.

In this week’s special episode of the This week in global development podcast, filmed at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, and hosted in partnership with CropLife International, we explore the expanding role of agricultural innovation — including advances in plant science, crop protection, biotechnology, and digital and precision tools — in helping farmers adapt to climate stress and maintain productivity. 

Devex Executive Editor Kate Warren speaks with Laurie Goodwin, vice president of public affairs and communications at CropLife International, about how innovation and open trade can work together to build climate-resilient food systems. 

The episode also introduces a new practical guide that compiles global examples of policy approaches that strengthen sustainable agricultural growth and support climate, productivity, and resilience goals. Across the discussion, the importance of collaboration among governments, the private sector, and farmers is emphasized as essential for delivering measurable on-the-ground outcomes — not only at COP30, but across the wider set of global forums connecting climate, trade, and food security agendas.

To hear more, listen to this conversation with Laurie Goodwin on this special podcast episode of This Week in Global Development.

In this week’s special edition of the This Week in Global Development podcast, we explore how investing in women’s health is not just a health issue — it’s about power, agency, and opportunity. 

Women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health than men, due to underfunded research, diagnostic biases, and policies that fail to prioritize their needs. The result: Llimits on women’s ability to lead, work, and participate fully in society.

Hosted in partnership with Pivotal Ventures, Devex Executive Editor Kate Warren speaks with Haven Ley, chief strategy officer at Pivotal Ventures, and Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change, about how reimagining women’s health care can reshape opportunity for entire communities.
Their conversation highlights Action for Women’s Health — a $250 million global open call launched by Pivotal Ventures and Lever for Change to identify and fund community-driven solutions that improve women’s mental and physical health. The initiative drew over 4,000 applications from 119 countries, surfacing innovations in areas from maternal and mental health to menopause and caregiving.

As global aid declines and funding for women’s health remains scarce, Ley and Conrad argue that this bottom-up, participatory funding model offers a more equitable way to center women’s voices and needs. Their message: the ideas and solutions already exist — what’s needed now is more capital and commitment to bring them to scale.