Research: Maternal Care Methods Can Save Lives, Reduce Infection Amid Ebola
Lessons from an innovative Ebola screening and isolation unit for pregnant women, created five years ago in West Africa, could inform maternity care and save lives during the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a new study shows. A Partners In Health team opened the groundbreaking isolation unit in
University Hospital in Haiti Earns Global Accreditation for Medical Education Programs
University Hospital in Mirebalais, Haiti, received formal accreditation from an international oversight group this week, affirming that the hospital’s medical education and residency programs meet the highest global standards—and causing Dr. Paul Farmer to reach for a seat. “There’s a Haitian expression—news that demands a chair,” said Farmer, Partners In
Graduates of Medical Residencies Bolster Haiti’s Health System
Haiti’s 2010 earthquake was devastating, killing nearly 300,000 people and injuring hundreds of thousands more. The disaster’s impact on the medical community was swift, and would be felt over the long term. The nursing school in Port-au-Prince collapsed during its afternoon session, killing every third-year nurse and instructor within. The
Training the Trainers: Emergency Medicine Course Aims to Expand Care in Haiti
Dr. Linda Rimpel said two of the most important questions about lifesaving care—where are you when you have an emergency, and what can be done for you—are, all too often, much too closely connected. “Emergencies happen everywhere in the world, but they are not treated equally,” Rimpel, chief of
“Now We Have a Family:” The Story of a Children’s Home In Haiti
Minutes after the earthquake hit on January 12, 2010, Loune Viaud began weaving her way through rubble-strewn streets to the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. As the executive director of Zanmi Lasante—as Partners In Health is known in Haiti, Loune knew the injured would soon begin arriving at the city’s largest
Nourimanba: Lifesaving Miracle Food
In Haiti, one in five children is malnourished and faces physical and cognitive stunting. Severe malnutrition is a life-threatening condition and, when not addressed aggressively, is a leading cause of death for children under 5 in Haiti, and all around the world. To tackle this problem, staff across 12 hospitals
On the Road in Sierra Leone, Spreading Health and Hope
When a young pregnant woman was rushed into the maternity ward at PIH-supported Koidu Government Hospital (KGH) in Kono, Sierra Leone, Isata Dumbuya, head of reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health, recognized the look of anguish on her team’s faces. The woman was in critical condition, suffering from pre-eclampsia. Had
Toddler Triplets Thrive in Sierra Leone
In August 2018, 17-year-old Isata Biango welcomed her triplets, Sarah, Caleb, and Isaiah Biango, into the world at PIH-supported Wellbody Clinic in Kono, Sierra Leone. The birth was a joy and relief not just for Biango, but also for the midwife and traditional birth attendant who assisted her. The staff met the potential risks
On Rounds with Dr. Paul Farmer
In the nearly 33 years since co-founding Partners In Health, Dr. Paul Farmer has gone from a medical student working in a one-room clinic in rural Haiti to a renowned infectious disease doctor, professor of medicine, and leader of one of the world’s most influential humanitarian organizations. Through all of