Providing a preferential option of health care for the poo, by Morgan Garcia.
To bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need of them and to serve as an antidote to despair.” - Partners in Health Mission Statement Partners in Health was founded in 1983 by a small group of doctors with the humble aim of providing health care to those in need – in the same way one would provide care for a family member who fell ill. From its small beginnings with commitments to a few villages in rural Haiti, PIH has grown to create complex works in Guatemala, Peru, Mexico and the prisons of Siberia. Through their work, the founders of PIH and their growing number of followers from all nations have come to understand that curing disease involves uprooting deep foundations of economic and educational inequality. Their projects struggle to provide modern medicine while constructing healthy living conditions and providing community incentives to fight diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
In 1994, Partners in Health began searching for a new site to begin another project similar to their communities in Latin America and Russia. After careful thought, Rwanda was chosen as the next step in the growth of PIH. Many factors were taken into consideration, but the outstanding similarities between Haiti and Rwanda – both are crowded, mountainous countries plagued by problems in healthcare and economic inequalities - made the choice clear.
In many countries, PIH has often had to struggle against governments to turn health care into a human right. In contrast, the Rwandan Ministry of Health has played an aggressive role in combating the country’s AIDS epidemic, extending care to the most vulnerable of its citizens. The Ministry’s proactive stance gives Partners in Health its first chance to work closely with a government organization in relieving the pressures created by HIV/AIDS.
Work in Rwanda began officially in April, 2005. Pooling lessons learned from their Haitian projects, PIH began programs in two rural districts. In these locations, Partners in Health has three primary goals. First, they will establish a system called the “four pillars,” that was highly successful in Haiti. The pillars include: HIV care and treatment integrated with primary health care; maternal and child health care; tuberculosis control; and the detection and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.
The second goal of PIH in Rwanda’s rural districts is based on a self-help model, teaching local residents to care for each other and giving them the opportunities to help their own communities. To accomplish this, Partners in Health trains and hires local health workers, encouraging collaboration between experienced Haitian workers and new Rwandan colleagues.
Next, Partners in Health plans to create a strong infrastructure of public health in the two rural districts. By training administrative and medical staff, rebuilding and equipping clinics and ensuring reliable electricity, water and communications systems, PIH will create a stable, healthy environment for the residents of these communities.
The projects of PIH are approached with a serious commitment to their targeted communities. Just as the Haitian project began with a small seed of caring and grew to encompass the greater goal of combating despair and alleviating poverty around the world, the Rwandan project will also expand over the years to provide permanent relief for those in need.
The PIH project in Rwanda is mainly supported by the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative and private donors. However, Partners in Health also works closely with the Boston Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, the World Health Organization and the Global Fund.
To make a donation or simply for more information about Partners in Health and its projects in Rwanda or around the globe, visit www.pih.org or email info@pih.org.
