Until very recently, it was conventional wisdom that drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR TB) and HIV/AIDS could not be treated in developing countries. PIH proved otherwise, developing a model of community-based careto treat DR-TB in the slums of Lima, Peru, and deliver antiretroviral therapy to people living with HIV/AIDS in a squatter settlement in rural Haiti. National health authorities in both countries incorporated the lessons learned in these pilot projects into national health systems.

Since then, PIH has expanded its community-based approach to health care and socioeconomic support to 12 countries across the globe.

For Partners In Health, it is not enough just to offer free medical services. They have found through their tireless commitment to serving the poor that the proliferation of illness needs to be addressed at the root causes of poverty. A range of barriers can exist to prevent someone from seeking medical care - distance, social stigma or a lack of information, to name a few. Paramount to their success is the engagement of community health workers. Partners In Health hires and trains local workers to assist patients through treatment, monitor their needs for food, water and housing, provide health education and deliver care and medicine to their homes. All patients being treated for HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis are paired with a worker at the outset of their diagnosis. The high quality treatment and daily visits of community health workers have significantly lengthened the lifespan of patients.