Bill Gates Visits Nigeria to Boost Polio Fight
Bill Gates traveled to Nigeria to learn more about national immunization efforts and the country’s strategy to stop polio.

Reuters: U.S. tones down rhetoric on Zimbabwe’s Mugabe
The Obama administration has toned down U.S. rhetoric against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, dropping for now a public demand the veteran African leader step down, said U.S. officials on Monday. In its closing months, the Bush administration intensified calls for Mugabe to quit, saying Washington could no longer support a government that included him. But U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity as Zimbabwe policy is under review, said the language against Mugabe was less forceful under President Barack Obama, who took over two weeks ago.

Financial Times: Gates optimistic aid will survive cutbacks
Bill and Melinda Gates believe philanthropy’s new-found visibility will prevent governments from cutting aid budgets. The pair told the Financial Times that public perception had shifted in recent years. “We know it won’t be easy. In many previous downturns aid got cut. Now though, aid is more visible, it’s more focused on health and food. People are hearing the success stories,” said Mr Gates.

Christian Science Monitor: Funds tighten for fighting AIDS and malaria worldwide
The U.S. has yet to approve its 2009 contribution to the Global Fund, but if it comes up with even $2 billion of its $2.7 billion pledge for 2009, “I’d be very happy,” says Rajat Gupta, chairman of the Global Fund. The “gap” that worries health experts is the shortfall in funding that they say is tied to the international program’s success: More developing countries, particularly in Africa, are coming up with effective and popular programs for combating the three diseases. But the successes are actually prompting greater demand, even as developed countries like the US fall behind in meeting their funding pledges. The gap between funds pledged and eligible programs stands at about $5 billion, he says.

BBC: Water – another global ‘crisis’?
An interesting BBC piece on the importance of water and its link to human development.

Euractiv: Merkel calls mini EU summit ahead of G20
Dismissing French suggestions to organize a Eurogroup meeting of heads of state, Germany has called a mini EU summit to prepare a common European approach ahead of a G20 meeting in London on 2 April, which is set to reform the global financial system.

-Chandler Smith