Global Health & Development
Rethink Priorities' Global Health and Development team conducts transparent and thorough research to tackle the world's most pressing challenges in health, international development, and climate change. Our mission is to enhance global well-being through analysis and insights that, when implemented, can make a difference.
With deep expertise in economics, epidemiology, and policy, we are not just researchers or consultants. We are strategic thought partners committed to uncovering life-saving interventions and advancing welfare across diverse geographies. For that reason, we conduct both independent research and client-commissioned studies, tailoring each project to the specific issue, context, and client needs. Our flexible approach allows us to deliver high-quality research in as little as six weeks. We are focused on social impact and meeting the needs of our clients, with no competing academic or profit motives.
Explore our public research and discover how we can collaborate to develop tailored solutions that elevate your initiatives and drive real change.
Global Health
How can we revolutionize health outcomes for the most vulnerable populations?
Our research spans critical issues such as hypertension, lead exposure, malaria, and family planning, delivering evidence-based strategies to enhance well-being. We also explore under-researched areas to uncover new avenues for impact.
International Development
What innovative approaches can we adopt to promote resilience in LMICs?
We assess livelihood initiatives, weather forecasting, aid effectiveness, and sustainable practices, such as wood commodity usage, to foster sustainable development and long-term growth.
Climate change
Which high-impact strategies can help us adapt to climate change effectively?
From anti-deforestation initiatives to carbon capture technologies, our research identifies key opportunities in climate philanthropy, renewable energy, and demand management to create a more sustainable future.
Collaborations
We provide consultancy services to grantmakers, policymakers, and nonprofits.
We offer comprehensive analyses, evidence reviews, and strategic recommendations to prioritize interventions aligned with global health and development objectives.
More about this area of focus.
At Rethink Priorities, the Global Health and Development (GHD) department operates at the intersection of research consultancy and independent inquiry. As trusted advisors, we empower grantmakers, policymakers, and nonprofits to identify transformative, high-impact interventions that can save lives and elevate well-being across the globe. Our deep expertise spans critical areas such as health, climate change, and development economics. By engaging closely with stakeholders, we ensure our research not only aligns with strategic priorities of our clients but also drives tangible, meaningful outcomes that are at the core of RP’s values.
Beyond consultancy, we conduct independent research fueled by our commitment to uncovering underexplored, high-impact opportunities in health, development, and climate change. This proactive approach positions us as thought leaders in pressing global conversations, providing evidence-based insights that inform large-scale interventions and shape policy decisions. Together, we can pave the way for a brighter, more equitable future for all.
Theory of change
How we work
We primarily serve as consultants for grantmakers, policymakers, and nonprofits to identify promising new avenues to save lives and improve wellbeing around the globe. We assist our clients with questions related to prioritization and strategy, intervention selection, and routes to impact.
While the scope of work is tailored for each client, services can include those listed here.
We examine an issue’s significance, the degree to which it has been overlooked, and the feasibility of potential interventions. We often include cost-effectiveness analyses for the most promising interventions in the space.
We analyze the cost-effectiveness of an organization in an objective way and try to determine the main uncertainties about its program(s) and impactfulness. These analyses may be done at the request of a donor considering a financial investment in an organization, or at the request of the organization itself.
We assess and summarize the academic and gray (non-academic) literature on a client’s research question, conducting case studies and speaking to experts to inform our review where appropriate.
We enhance the overall methodology employed by our clients in their work, such that their analyses are sustainably improved. This service often focuses on existing models, which we assess rigorously in order to understand and interrogate underlying assumptions and data sources. We can then recommend improvements, or make such updates directly, depending on the clients’ preferences.
We offer personalized advice and recommendations to donors interested in supporting high-impact initiatives aligned with their values and goals.
Testimonials
“RP completed a cost-effectiveness analysis of our organization. We hope it becomes customary for charities to undergo an external evaluation of their impact and effectiveness, particularly as it relates to scalability. While we had put together our own CEA, RP’s model was more thorough and comprehensive than ours, and accounted for far more variables than we had the time or expertise to take into account. We feel very comfortable sharing this with external stakeholders and would highly recommend RP to others.”
— Céline Kamsteeg
Co-Executive Director, Lafiya Nigeria
“Rethink Priorities conducted a scoping project to assess the feasibility of creating a high-impact intervention database for improving Charity Navigator ratings. Their team quickly delivered a detailed report that evaluated options based on accuracy, scalability, investment, maintenance, transparency, and feasibility. The analysis was pivotal in shaping our workflow and priorities, saving us significant time on internal analyses. The RP team was fantastic to work with, offering diverse expertise and frequent check-ins to ensure alignment with our goals. I look forward to collaborating with them again.”
— Lea Prince
VP of Ratings Methodology, Charity Navigator
“The Rethink Priorities GHD team are creative, thoughtful researchers who have produced helpful research for us across global health, international development, and climate change. They get up to speed on new areas quickly and have been responsive to our needs as a research heavy philanthropic funder. They’ve really helped to add research capacity to our small internal team, bringing a helpful mix of backgrounds from academic research, non-profit work, and the public sector.”
— Chris Smith
Program Officer, Open Philanthropy
Meet the team
Latest Research Highlights
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