Rajiv Shah
Dr. Rajiv Shah serves as the 16th Administrator of USAID and leads the efforts of more than 8,000 professionals in 80 missions around the world.
Homepage: http://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/organization/rajiv-shah
Our Commitment to the People of Pakistan
As I stood on the tarmac in Islamabad yesterday, waiting for the U.S. Air Force Reserve aircraft that would take me to the flood-ravaged southern part of Pakistan, I saw a large group of Pakistani men loading up boxes marked with the USAID brand mark into a local “jingle” truck. I walked over to the [...]
Flying Over Swat Showed me the True Scope of the Disaster
Shortly after arriving in Pakistan on Tuesday, I met with retired General Nadeem Ahmed, the chairman of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority. As the general took me up in a military helicopter to inspect the once-beautiful but ravaged Swat valley, we spoke openly and candidly about the true extent of the damage wrought by the floodwaters.
Science and Technology an Indispensible Part of U.S. Development Policy Worldwide
The following post from Dr. Shah is re-posted from the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy blog: In January, on the same day I took my oath of office to be Administrator of USAID, I met with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Together we discussed President Obama’s strong support [...]
Transforming Development Through Science, Technology and Innovation Begins Today
Today, USAID will convene a first-of-its-kind conference to bring together some of the world’s preeminent scientists, development experts and Federal science agency leaders to discuss the challenges we face and how we can partner to creatively tackle them through new scientific and technological advancements. Entitled Transforming Development through Science, Technology and Innovation and co-hosted with [...]
Building Back Better
Last Friday, I went down to Haiti to take a look at our progress since the earthquake. My first stop after I arrived in Port-au-Prince was in the neighborhood of Delmas 32. As we walked around, I saw buildings that had been marked with green, yellow, and red spray paint–buildings that are safe to inhabit [...]
Dinner with friends.
Just had a great evening of meeting and speaking with young doctors at the annual conference of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). They’re an impressive group of professionals who are doing so much on behalf of their communities and people in need overseas. Back in my college days in Michigan I [...]
Got Milk?
Bringing together local communities and private enterprise is what makes for a sustainable and mutually profitable partnership. Just ask Alexandre Alcantara, head of Kirène, a leader in the local production of mineral water, fruit juice, milk and milk-based products here in Senegal. Alexandre has been giving me a tour of his factory located about 80 [...]
Partnering with West African Countries to Fight Global Hunger
Food security is the order of business this week. I’m here at the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) / Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) high level event in Dakar, Senegal for its review of national and regional investment plans in agriculture for West African countries. President Obama pledged $3.5 billion for agricultural development and food security [...]
New Commitment to Helping Women and Children Globally
Great news on maternal and child health today. On behalf of the Gates Foundation, Melinda Gates committed $1.5 billion to support integrated women’s and children’s health programs in developing countries at the Women Deliver Conference in Washington, DC. The United States through the Global Health Initiative shares the goals of the Gates Foundation to improve the health and nutritional status of women and children worldwide. While [...]
Investing in food security with the Bangladeshi government, private sector, NGOs
I’m in Bangladesh today to participate in the Food Security Investment Forum. What a crowd! The Prime Minister, Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, who has shown a strong commitment to food security, spoke this morning, as well as luminaries such as Dr. David Nabarro, Dr. Shenggen Fan, and Dr. John Mellor. We’ve all come together in [...]
