Quadruplets Born at University Hospital Amidst Haiti Unrest
Madeleine* and her husband, Stevenson, knew their family life was about to drastically change. They had seven children at home in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and found out through an ultrasound that they were expecting triplets. Like any woman in late pregnancy, Madeleine was feeling off balance, as her abdomen swelled and
PIH a “Safety Net” in Haiti During Weeks of Unrest
By Dr. Sheila DavisChief Executive OfficerPartners In Health PIH CEO Dr. Sheila Davis spoke recently with leaders at Zanmi Lasante, as PIH is known in Haiti, and provides the latest information about the past six weeks of unrest across the country. I’m reaching out to share with you an update
Reflecting on 5-Year Anniversary of the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
It has been five years since I went to Liberia and Sierra Leone to launch Partners In Health’s Ebola response. The memories from that first trip are very vivid. I remember sitting on empty planes arriving to airports, where most people were trying to leave the countries. I remember repeated
“The Right Medicine”: Young Woman Triumphs Over MDR-TB
Cylian B. Kargbo is planning for her future. “My birthday is coming up!” the 12-going-on-13-year-old from Calaba Town, Sierra Leone, proudly announced, looking ahead a few weeks when she would celebrate with, first and foremost, “pizza!” Further down the line, Cylian has even bigger dreams: “I want to be a
How Three Girls Defied the Odds to Join First Medical Class
All over the world, millions of girls are denied basic human rights, such as access to health care and education. Since 2012, October 11 has marked the annual International Day of the Girl, a celebration that advocates for girls’ empowerment and human rights. This year, at Partners In Health, we
Battling Mental Illness, One Home Visit at a Time
Community health workers are the bridge connecting their neighbours, friends, and family to local clinics across the 10 communities in which Partners In Health works in rural Chiapas, Mexico. In July, Compañeros En Salud—as PIH is known in Mexico—launched a new initiative that trained five workers in the provision of
Mental Health Care for Homeless Begins with Clean T-Shirt, Warm Meal, and a Bath
Three years ago, Winston Appleton had all but given up on life. He slept rough in the shadow of decaying mansions in Harper, Liberia. He lived on a diet of mud and “Italian white”—the Liberian term for low-grade heroin. He talked to himself, using discarded plastic straws to inhale the
Enabling dignified mental health care in Sierra Leone
By Emily AntzeSenior Manager, Programs and DevelopmentPartners In Health Canada The Sierra Leone Psychiatric Hospital is made up of about half a dozen long, low buildings with porticoes, built high on one of Freetown’s rolling hills. The grounds are lush and green. One of the Partners In Health staff has
The Social Worker Extraordinaire Helping Breast Cancer Patients
Oldine Deshommes never has an empty office. The social worker is a go-to resource for every cancer patient passing through the double doors of the Roselene Jean Bosquet Center at University Hospital in Mirebalais, Haiti. Her role is to connect them with support and resources, which she always delivers with