Most-Read Stories of 2018

Partners In Health is proud of what our friends and colleagues accomplish every day, in every community where we work. Each year is filled with new challenges and innovative solutions that help us deliver high-quality care in some of the poorest, most remote regions of the world.

We often share these stories of struggle and success on our website and social media. In case you missed them the first time around, we've compiled our top 10 stories from 2018. These are the people, places, and programs that caught your eye, from Lesotho, Sierra Leone, and Malawi to Haiti and the Navajo Nation.

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10. Safe Deliveries, Big Smiles at Lesotho Health Center

Kamohelo Phoofolo, 8 months old, was born safely at a facility revitalized by Lesotho's national health care reform, one of nearly 4,000 more safe childbirths in 2017 than in years prior. Read more.

9. Gladys: Trailblazer, Midwife, Feminist in Sierra Leone

Boyama "Gladys" Katingor, the head midwife at Wellbody Clinic in Kono, Sierra Leone, ensures every expectant mother receives the best possible care and advocates for her patients' both in and outside the clinic. Read more.

8. Malaria Cases Rising in Malawi as Peak Season Nears 

Flora Tigone worried when her infant son, Chisomo, suddenly became lethargic and feverish. A month ago, an older child had battled malaria. Fearing that was the case with Chisomo, Flora knew she had to act quickly. Read more.

7. Graduates "Paving the Way for Global Nursing Leadership"

The PIH Nightingale Fellowship was designed to provide support and training for nurses in senior or executive leadership positions, and ultimately to improve patient care. The first four fellows graduated from their yearlong program in June. Read more.

6. Dr. Marta Lado on Ebola, and its Aftermath, in Sierra Leone

Dr. Marta Lado, chief medical officer for Partners In Health in Sierra Leone, talks about the lessons she learned while treating patients for Ebola, and why she stayed to help rebuild the public health system. Read more.

5. Teens with HIV Find Support, Friendship at Malawi Club

On Saturdays in Neno District, Malawi, teens living with HIV can find friendship, games, snacks, HIV education and, most importantly, support. Read more.

4. Breast Cancer Survivors in Haiti Share Their Stories

In 2018 alone, PIH clinicians and staff in Haiti have been caring for 450 women diagnosed with breast cancer. Five survivors shared their stories in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Read more.

3. Single Mother in Malawi Caring for Kids, Handling HIV

Agnes Paulo's expression was somber as she held her infant son, Ulemu, in her lap. Paulo, 35, is a single mother and living with HIV. Her four older children are HIV-negative, but Ulemu had not yet been tested. Read more.

2. Mental Health Team Expanding Innovative, Pioneering Care

Dr. Giuseppe “Bepi” Raviola, PIH’s director of mental health, oversees a growing program that is caring for thousands of people in Haiti and Rwanda; developing safe houses for women with chronic mental illness in Peru; working to treat common mental disorders in communities across eight countries; and much more. We caught up with him for an eye-opening chat. Read more.

1. Eating Well: Grocery Program Takes Off in the Navajo Nation

Doctors give patients, usually mothers, “prescriptions,” or vouchers, for a month’s worth of free fruits and vegetables for their families. The mothers spend the vouchers at their local store. And PIH reimburses the stores for the cost of the produce as part of the Fruits and Vegetables Prescription Program, or FVRx. Read more.