Partners In Health (PIH) is a non-profit, social justice organization working to bring the benefits of modern medical science first and foremost to the most vulnerable communities around the world. PIH’s work is based on solidarity rather than charity alone and is driven by the belief that all human lives are equally valuable and that every person has the inalienable right to be healthy.

Among the many organizations doing important work in the medical and global health space, PIH’s approach is unique because it does not stop at delivering health care directly, but it leverages its partnership with leading academic institutions, such as Harvard Medical School, to create evidence-based research used to create a new standard of universal health care.

PIH’s approach to global health policy is distinctive because it rejects the notion that health interventions should be based on cost-effectiveness. In fact, since its beginnings, PIH has consistently challenged mainstream policies and has maintained over and over that treatment must and can be delivered to rural and impoverished communities, even when it comes to complex diseases, such as HIV or drug-resistant tuberculosis. Despite having been at times attacked and scorned for its attempts to change mainstream policy, PIH has—in the end—proven with rigorous evidence to be ahead of the curve when it comes to global health delivery.

Our staff is spread across the world with programs and supported facilities in 11 countries. From the Caribbean to Central and South America, from West and East Africa to Asia, PIH staff is comprised of doctors, nurses, clinicians, researchers, and by local community health workers. Community health workers are the key ingredient in PIH’s approach. They are mostly women who are best positioned to support all patients’ needs from within their communities. PIH’s work is based on social medicine and goes beyond treating diseases and looks at holistic patient support, including social support, nutrition assistance, and transportation needs.