The Global Health Activism We Need
Our Mission
Expectant mothers at Lebakeng Maternal Waiting Home awaiting safe delivery under the skilled health workers. Many have travelled long distances across the mountains so they can be closer to care, ensuring a safer start for their new born babies…Pictured is ‘Mampho Mojela doing her laundry as she prepares to return home after giving birth to a baby boy (Blessings Mojela)
Justice Kalebe / PIH
Dr. Eyob Deyaso Biyene, Internist and Infectious Diseases Specialist at PIH-supported Botšabelo Hospital in Maseru, Lesotho examines MDR-TB patient Mokoto Kotelo during morning rounds.
Caitlin Kleiboer / PIH
Monnica Maheso, Registerned Nurse with Lesotho Flying Doctor Services, sees 3-year-old ‘Mafusi Sekete at Nkau Health Center. Sekete has been brought in due to a cough. With her is her mother, Marethabile Sekete, 39. They are from Ha Lethua, a village located about two hours away from Nkau Health Center on foot, or about 30 minutes by taxi. Nkau Health Center is the nearest health facility, and the family visits it often for their healthcare needs.
Caitlin Kleiboer / PIH
Partners In Health (PIH) is a non-profit, global health organization that fights social injustice by bringing the benefits of modern medical science first and foremost to the most vulnerable communities around the world.
Areas of Focus
PIH delivers compassionate primary care and fights complex diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, and cancer—starting with those who need it most.
Our mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. By establishing long-term relationships with sister organizations based in settings of poverty, Partners In Health strives to achieve two overarching goals: to bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need of them and to serve as an antidote to despair.
Dorcas Toe faced some unusual health challenges early in her young life that her grandmother, Evelyn Jugbe, sought help for. It wasn’t until Evelyn brought Dorcas to James Jenkins Dossen (JJD) Memorial Hospital that they found the answers to Dorcas’ health issues. Doctors diagnosed Dorcas with a congenital malformation of the kidney and proceeded to perform surgery to address the issue.
Luther N. Mafalleh / PIH
Elizabeth Wreh Sackor, a mother from Maryland County, shared with a troubled voice, reflecting on her painful memories during an event organized by Partners In Health Liberia’s mental health team, about her son Daniel S. Sackor (pictured). Daniel’s story is a powerful testament to the fact that with the right care and support, recovery is possible. His progress gives hope to so many others.
Ansumana O. Sesay / PIH
Partners In Health provides vital care for cancer, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases in vulnerable communities and helps governments incorporate best practices into public health systems.
When her husband Alusine Sesay suffered a stroke in Guinea, Aminata Jalloh turned to her roots in Sierra Leone for help. Encouraged by family, the couple traveled to Kono, where Alusine received compassionate care at Wellbody Clinic and was referred to Koidu Government Hospital for further treatment. ..In frame is Alusine Sesay lying down at the waiting room for the ambulance after checkup.
Lahai Khumala / PIH
After her appointment, Narame Bernadette sits alone outside the hospital, taking a quiet moment to reflect.
Asher Habinshuti / PIH
Our child health programs focus on providing vital medical care, nutrition, and education to children, ensuring healthier futures and empowering families in communities we serve.
Valentine Mukandebe, a mother of four, has faced extraordinary challenges caring for her youngest son, Felicien, who was born with a disability. With support from PIH Rwanda’s Pediatric Development Clinic (PDC) at Kirehe District Hospital, she’s found strength and stability—accessing regular medical care, therapy, emotional support, and the means to rebuild her life.
Asher Habinshuti / PIH
Nobelane Ntlanyane from Ha Mokhasi village walks to Nkau Health Facility to access health services with her daughter Amahle Ntlanyane who was delivered from the clinic
Justice Kalebe / PIH
Community health workers (CHWs) are the eyes, ears, and connective tissue of Partners In Health everywhere we go.
Kioshi Vásquez, middle, with members of his tuberculosis care team at the Carabayllo Health Center in Peru.
Photo by Diego Diaz / PIH
Mary Liz Cuzcano, community health agent, provides support and accompaniment to Jorge Llauri, a 47-year-old patient with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, at the Raúl Porras Barrenechea Health Center in Carabayllo, Peru.
Photo by Diego Diaz / PIH
Every woman should have safe, dignified, and effective health care that allows her to define her future. In Sierra Leone, where maternal mortality is high, we’re building and staffing a state-of-the-art hospital for women and children, making this vision a reality.
Fatimata Foday is a 23-year-old woman whose life was transformed by the care she received at Jojoima Community Health Center (CHC). When Fatimata was four months pregnant, she was admitted to Jojoima CHC for malaria during pregnancy. While at the clinic, her condition became more serious—she lost the ability to move her legs and needed assistance for daily activities. The medical team started treating her for extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) affecting her spine. Fatimata underwent a cesarean section for the safe delivery of her baby. During her recovery, she gradually regained movement in her legs. Thanks to the dedicated care at Jojoima CHC, Fatimata is now able to walk again and enjoys life with her thriving little girl Bintu.
Chiara Herold / PIH
The MCOE will be a hub of innovation through the development of clinical training, mentorship and research programs. ..As an extension of Koidu Government Hospital in Kono District it will dramatically expand the current 48-bed maternal ward and special care baby unit.
Sean Andrew Bangura / PIH
PIH fights TB by offering community-based care, improving treatments for MDR-TB, and driving innovation, ensuring access to life-saving care in the communities we serve.
Saulos Metio, a tuberculosis (TB) patient, speaks with Charles Marshal, Nutrition Coordinator at PIH Malawi, during a home visit as part of his ongoing treatment and nutritional support.
Joseph Mizere / PIH
‘Majanki Lesako is an MDR-TB patient at at PIH-supported Botšabelo Hospital in Maseru, Lesotho. Lesako, has been diagnosed with TB three times. The first two were susceptible TB, both times infected by her husband who worked in the mines in Welkom, South Africa. She was diagnosed at a health center in February 2025, this time with MDR-TB and referred to Botšabelo. She lives with 4 children, 3 grandchildren, and 1 relative’s child.
Caitlin Kleiboer / PIH
Despite being central pillars of communities, women continue to be the most underserved. Partners In Health strives to address this by expanding access to women’s health services.
Expectant mothers at Lebakeng Maternal Waiting Home awaiting safe delivery under the skilled health workers. Many have travelled long distances across the mountains so they can be closer to care, ensuring a safer start for their new born babies
Justice Kalebe / PIH
Wellbody Clinic serves as an exemplar of primary health care delivery, training, and innovation in the country. ..The clinic is setting new standards for health care nationwide. Since 2016 only one maternal death was registered, thanks to the mentorship of maternity staff and maternal waiting homes—facilities where women with high-risk pregnancies can stay for 24-hour monitoring ahead of their due date. ..These homes were first opened in 2017 and freshly renovated in 2023. ..In frame: Fatu Sankoh
Sean Andrew Bangura / PIH
The need
We believe health care is a human right. But for millions around the world, that’s not the reality. By leveraging the benefits of modern medical science and the experience of our patients, we strive for communities with zero preventable deaths.
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50%of people lack accessto essential health care across the globe
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94%of maternal deathsoccur in low- and lower middle-income countries
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13,400children die every daybefore reaching their fifth birthday
In Kirehe, Rwanda, PIH helps Valentine care for her disabled son Felicien, providing medical, developmental, and emotional support to help children thrive and families rebuild.
The Paul E. Farmer Maternal Center of Excellence (MCOE) in Kono District, Sierra Leone, is redefining maternal and neonatal care by uniting world-class clinical design with dignity and compassion. Built through a partnership between Partners In Health, the Ministry of Health, and Build Health International, the facility honors Dr. Paul Farmer’s vision of health care as a human right.
The MCOE features Sierra Leone’s first neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), advanced infection-control systems, private courtyards, and thoughtfully designed wards that center women’s privacy, comfort, and safety. From landscaped gardens and natural ventilation to on-site water treatment and mother dormitories, every element was created to promote healing, trust, and sustainable health outcomes.
As a teaching hospital, the MCOE also serves as a training ground for Sierra Leonean doctors, nurses, and midwives, helping strengthen the country’s health system and reduce preventable maternal deaths. Rooted in Dr. Farmer’s belief that “the idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world,” the MCOE stands as a global model for equitable, dignified care.
Keywords: Paul Farmer, Partners In Health, Sierra Leone, maternal health, neonatal care, global health, hospital design, health equity, women’s health, Dr. Paul Farmer Maternal Center of Excellence, Build Health International.
66 advocates met with 29 MPs on Parliament Hill for #LeadOnTB, urging Canada to boost Global Fund support and lead the fight against TB: the world’s deadliest yet curable infectious disease.
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