Frequently Asked Questions

Sierra Leone, a West African nation that has endured colonialism, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and civil war, has only 3 psychiatrists for its population of over 8 million. The country also has only one hospital dedicated to mental health care: PIH-supported Sierra Leone Psychiatric Teaching Hospital.

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in Mexico. PIH, known locally as Compañeros En Salud, is enlisting the help of community health workers to respond to diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases in the rural, mountainous Sierra Madre of Chiapas. Community health workers are local residents hired and trained to provide medications, emotional support, accompaniment to appointments, and other health services.

Just a little over a decade ago, cancer care was nearly nonexistent in Rwanda, leaving patients with nowhere to go for care and treatment, including chemotherapy. In 2011, PIH broke ground on Butaro District Hospital in partnership with the Ministry of Health and, the following year, opened Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence. These programs have since enrolled more than 14,000 patients and provided care for over 20 types of cancer.

Tuberculosis is the world’s deadliest infectious disease, despite treatment being available in wealthy countries. As part of the endTB project, PIH has continued its decades-long TB work by helping patients access shorter, less toxic treatment regimens through observation studies and clinical trials. The project works in 17 countries where the multidrug-resistant form of the disease is prevalent, including Peru, Lesotho, and Kazakhstan.

At least half of the world’s population lacks access to basic health services, such as immunization and family planning. PIH’s medical care and social support are crucial to helping patients access the care they need, from community health workers knocking on doors to mobile clinics visiting rural communities. Also critical is PIH’s partnership with governments to strengthen public health systems and advocacy at the local, national, and global levels.

The vast majority of maternal deaths happen in the Global South. In Sierra Leone, for example, a woman has a 1 in 20 lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth. These inequities make maternal health vital to PIH’s work around the world, from lifesaving c-sections to facility-based deliveries to dignified childbirth with traditional midwives.