India’s dairy farmers are facing a battle to sustain their cattle. Rising costs and climate change have forced many to sell livestock at distress rates, threatening milk production and potentially disrupting global dairy markets.
India’s dairy farms in crisis
Climate change is the crisis that keeps on giving. India’s dairy industry is now facing severe problems due to a nationwide fodder shortage fueled by climate change, rising costs, and urbanization. Farmers struggle to feed their cattle, forcing them to sell at distress rates.
With fodder prices nearly tripling in some regions, India’s status as the world’s largest milk producer is under threat, risking disruption to both domestic and global dairy markets. Shrinking cultivation areas due to urbanization and the shift to commercial crops has further exacerbated the problem.
The fodder shortage is now recognized at the highest levels of government, with a reported deficit of 11.24%-32% for green fodder and 23% for dry fodder. And that’s in a country with over 500 million livestock. The situation has far-reaching implications. If the crisis continues, it could disrupt global dairy markets, potentially increasing dairy imports to India and pushing up international prices.
To mitigate this, experts suggest increasing land for fodder cultivation and adopting sustainable agricultural practices, such as hydroponics, Cheena Kapoor writes for Devex.
But for farmers like Sheshrao Jadhav, solutions can’t come soon enough. He’s already sold 120 cattle from his property, which has a capacity for 500 dairy cows. With the income from his agricultural farm barely sustaining his dairy operation, he’s contemplating giving up completely.
“We grow sugarcane and cotton and use whatever money can be spared in the upkeep of the dairy farm, but how long can this continue?” he asks. The uncertainty looms large as he navigates the challenges of sustaining his dairy farm in the face of rising costs and dwindling resources.
Partnerships and compliance
Chuck Pope, a former contracting officer with two decades of experience at USAID, stressed the importance of partnership and strict compliance for winning grants. Partner, partner, partner, and compliance, compliance, compliance, was his answer during a recent Devex Pro event. He highlighted that major players are increasingly forming joint ventures, which are crucial, especially for smaller organizations without direct connections to USAID.
“If you look at what the big players are doing, they’re all JVing up,” said Pope, who retired from USAID in 2022 and now runs his own consulting company — Pope International. “Everybody is teaming up, and everybody is acquiring somebody. There’s a reason why that is being done.”
Pope explained that compliance is critical: Noncompliant applications are often dismissed without consideration. USAID’s criteria for funding, which include being “presently responsible” and capable of managing U.S. funds responsibly, make strict adherence to guidelines a must, my colleague Elissa Miolene writes.
Looking ahead to the U.S. election, Pope noted that changes at USAID are inevitable, regardless of who wins. He expects shifts in leadership, such as Samantha Power stepping down, and anticipates that USAID will continue to respond to global dynamics, including geopolitical challenges posed by China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Despite concerns, Pope believes USAID will remain crucial for U.S. foreign policy, given its cost-effective role in preventing crises.
UK aid watchdog seeks direction
U.K. aid watchdog Independent Commission for Aid Impact is currently without a boss after the country’s general election in July delayed the appointment of a successor to the departed Tamsyn Barton.
However, even as Foreign Secretary David Lammy mulls over his pick as the next chief commissioner, ICAI has launched a consultation to find out what areas the U.K. public wants it to zoom in on under the new Labour government, Devex U.K. Correspondent Rob Merrick tells me.
ICAI’s recent reports have included flashpoint issues such as humanitarian relief to Gaza and Afghanistan and the billions diverted from the aid budget to fund refugee hotels within the U.K., as well as lesser-known uses of aid to fund global health research and the Blue Planet Fund.
Liz Ditchburn and Harold Freeman, two new ICAI commissioners, said: “We want your ideas and insights about where we should focus our efforts and how we can do our work better, whether you’re working in the development sector in the UK or overseas, or just have a strong interest in aid policy and want your voice to be heard.”
Promising malaria vaccine for pregnancy
A new malaria vaccine candidate has shown encouraging results, offering long-lasting protection for women of childbearing age, including during pregnancy. In a Phase 2 trial conducted in Mali, women who received Sanaria’s PfSPZ vaccine were safeguarded from malaria for at least two years without the need for booster shots. The vaccine also proved effective and safe for those who became pregnant after vaccination, benefiting both mothers and their newborns.
This promising development could lead to much-needed trials in pregnant women — a group severely impacted by malaria, which is responsible for approximately 50,000 maternal deaths and 200,000 stillbirths each year in Africa. With current WHO-approved vaccines limited to children under 5, this new vaccine could fill a critical gap.
The PfSPZ vaccine, which uses a weakened form of the malaria parasite to build immunity, showed up to 86% efficacy in the first year for women who became pregnant within six months of receiving it.
Sanaria is preparing to test the vaccine in pregnant women by early 2025 and is also developing a third-generation vaccine, PfSPZ-LARC2, using gene-editing technology to boost its effectiveness. Despite facing funding hurdles, Sanaria is fast-tracking these vaccines for travelers, women of childbearing age, and ultimately children in Africa, aiming to significantly cut down malaria-related fatalities and health complications.
What it takes to land a WHO job
As the largest global health organization, the World Health Organization is a top employer for public health professionals, but landing a job there is highly competitive. Success requires not only the right technical and behavioral skills but also a solid understanding of WHO’s recruitment process, including crafting compelling CVs and excelling in competency-based interviews, Katrina J. Lane writes for Devex.
Founded in 1948, WHO plays a key role in global health with over 8,000 employees in more than 150 countries, focusing on challenges ranging from infectious diseases like COVID-19 to mental health issues. In the past year, WHO listed 2,727 job openings, primarily in Switzerland, India, Egypt, the Philippines, and the Republic of Congo, with many roles also available as remote or global positions.
WHO’s recruitment process is rigorous, involving several stages: vacancy announcements, initial screening, technical tests, competency-based interviews, and background checks. WHO emphasizes the need for applicants to align their skills with job requirements and to demonstrate their expertise clearly. The organization uses platforms such as eSkill and HireVue for testing and ClearChecks for background verification, ensuring that only the most qualified candidates proceed.
Looking ahead, WHO is focusing on core country-level roles to address specific health needs locally, reflecting its priorities in areas such as universal health coverage, health emergencies, and disease prevention. With a structured recruitment process aimed at maintaining transparency and fairness, WHO aims to find individuals who can drive its mission forward in tackling global health challenges. Find out what you need to land the job.
