Devex Pro Weekender: A global health merger, and an office shisha cave

The G7 summit is the big event this week, with the global south set to be a core theme. Its Italian hosts are particularly emphasizing strategic partnerships with Africa — there’s been talk of economic ties, sustainable development, but also of course migration — and the economic and cultural value of oceans. Other key topics expected to be discussed at the five-star seaside resort in Puglia are the war in Ukraine, respect for the rules of international law, energy security, and artificial intelligence. We’ll keep you posted on that. In the meantime, read on for all your usual insider tidbits, including an extraordinary story about nonprofit workers who set up their own smoking den in the office. Coming up: Don’t miss our deep dive into what’s at stake for aid in the U.K. election, taking place on Wednesday! Hear about the main parties’ visions for aid, what we can expect from the next government, and how NGOs can start preparing — plus, put your questions to our panel of experts. Also in today’s edition: A USAID resignation, a global health merger, and a new nonprofit CEO. Jessica Abrahams Editor, Devex Pro Bits and pieces Gaza protests. A USAID contractor has quit in protest over USAID Administrator Samantha Power’s stance on Gaza. Alex Smith, who worked as a senior adviser on gender, maternal health, child health, and nutrition, is the ninth official to resign from the Biden administration over the issue but only the second to leave USAID. Tensions over the issue at the agency do run deeper than that, however: Power was publicly challenged by a current and former staffer back in January, and 1,000 USAID employees signed a protest letter as far back as November. When two become one. IntraHealth International has become a subsidiary of Global Communities in a merger intended “to meet the fast-changing humanitarian and development needs of countries around the world,” according to a release. Founded in 1979, IntraHealth is a U.S.-based nonprofit working to improve public health in global south countries, with an income in 2022 of $76.2 million. Global Communities works across humanitarian aid and sustainable development globally, with an income of $191 million. GC President Carrie Hessler-Radelet said the organizations were “join[ing] forces to leverage our complementary expertise and networks, increase our impact and move the needle on fully realizing our commitment to locally led development.” The vision “is to build a new kind of hybrid organization, one that can seamlessly pivot programming to better address community needs.” Welcome to UNICEF. UNICEF UK has a new chief executive and it’s Philip Goodwin, who has led international volunteering organization VSO for nearly a decade. He’s also previously worked for TREE AID, the British Council, and the ODI think tank. However, current chief exec Jon Sparkes is leaving this month, and Goodwin isn’t joining until September, so Girish Menon — who, as I previously reported, recently left STiR Education — is running the place in the interim. Smoking at work. In retrospect, setting up a self-proclaimed “sheesha cave” in the office probably wasn’t the best idea. But that’s what staff at Human Relief Foundation, a U.K.-based aid charity, did back in 2020. It was eventually rumbled by an asthmatic colleague whose suspicions were raised by a strong smell of smoke in the office — oh, and a sign on the door of the room reading “HRF Sheesha Cave.” After the discovery of an assortment of smoking equipment inside the room, staff reportedly messaged a work WhatsApp group, saying they were “all a bit screwed” and “there is no sorting this.” An investigation was launched, but whistleblower Farah Ahmad, a fundraising officer, said she faced intimidation from the accused colleagues and was made redundant a couple of months later. An employment tribunal earlier this year found she was unfairly dismissed and the charity has been ordered to pay £40,000 in compensation and legal costs. HRF works mostly in the Middle East and had an income of nearly £14 million in 2022. ✉️ Do you have insights into any of this week’s bits and pieces? Let me know by replying to this email. Moving on Harald Nusser is the new head of global health and health equity at Merck Healthcare. Beth Schlachter has joined MSI as senior director of U.S. external relations. She was previously interim director of global advocacy at the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Rebecca Distler, previously AI strategist for the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, will now be leading strategic health partnerships at OpenAI. Dykki Settle, the magnificently behatted chief digital officer of PATH, is moving on to take over as interim CEO of Medic, which builds open-source software to support health workers. Did we miss one? Is there a change on the horizon? Let us know at devexpro@devex.com. Stat of the week £1.5 billion --— That’s how much the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has set aside for development-related contracts in its latest commercial pipeline, according to a Devex analysis — the highest figure since the agency opened its doors nearly four years ago. For Devex Pro members, we take a look at the contracts in the pipeline and where the money’s going. Up next OECD Forum on Gender Equality. This year’s event will focus on “navigating global transitions” — specifically, how gender equality can be advanced amid green, energy, and digital transitions. It’s taking place in Paris with some high-level speakers, including Michelle Bachelet, former U.N. commissioner for human rights and president of Chile, and Francia Elena Márquez Mina, vice-president and minister of equality and equity in Colombia. June 10-11. Mark your calendar: WHO announced that its Second Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health will take place in Colombia on March 25-27, 2025.