Since 2000, Health Volunteers Overseas has had the honor of counting Julia Plotnick, RN, MPH, FAAN, RADM, USPHS (ret) as one of its members. For nearly two decades, she has been a dedicated volunteer, member, leader and supporter. She has…
At the World Humanitarian Summit, held in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2016, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon outlined five core responsibilities that nations and organizations must uphold in order to preserve the health, security and dignity of people around the…
The motto of the health workers who provide care to patients at Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) is: “Treat every patient as if your own child.” The dedication of the hospital staff, as well as that of the numerous…
Forty-five percent of all deaths of children under five are attributable to malnutrition in its various forms. Stunting—a consequence of chronic malnutrition that leads to lifelong health issues—affects one in four children under five globally. At the other end of…
This week, HVO marked its 30th anniversary and launched a yearlong celebration of the three decades that our organization has worked to transform lives through education. In the coming year, our community will celebrate and honor the work of our…
This month, Health Volunteers Overseas released our 2015 Annual Report. As in previous years, the report highlights the impact made by our volunteers, members, donors and overseas partners have in resource-scarce countries around the globe. In addition, this year’s report…
“Wherever you go, just take care of patients the very best you can and treat them like you want to be treated yourself.” This is the advice Samuel R. Baker, MD offers prospective global health volunteers. With more than ten…
Strained health systems around the world face infrastructure deficiencies and shortages of medicine and staff. The needs of patients and the burden of disease, paired with these ongoing system-wide challenges, not only limit care, but also restrict access to professional…
Over the course of numerous overseas assignments, anesthesiologist Lena Dohlman, MD, MPH, has seen the incredible impact HVO volunteers have on the quality and availability of care in resource-scarce countries. Dr. Dohlman has also witnessed how an overseas teaching assignment can inspire…
HVO is thrilled to announce a new volunteer opportunity in orthopaedics at Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila, the Philippines. PGH is seeking volunteers to augment the training of roughly 20 orthopaedic residents completing the hospital’s four-year residency training program.…
The Republic of Haiti has a population of just over 10 million people with roughly 300 dentists serving the entire country. The majority of those dentists practice in and around the capital city of Port-au-Prince and other urban centers, leaving…
In November 2013, Narhari Timilshina, MPH – a public health expert and clinical epidemiologist – traveled to Bhutan with an ambitious agenda: to create the country’s first cancer registry. A cancer registry is an essential tool for gathering information about…