Malawi

Partners in Hope (PIH)

Partners in Hope (PIH) is a Malawian, non-governmental organization dedicated to tackling barriers to health care in resource-limited communities in Malawi, with a focus on HIV testing and treatment services. Since PIH’s founding in 2001, the Ministry of Health has continued to award PIH with certificates of excellence for HIV and ART services. The organization has a longstanding relationship as a PEPFAR implementing partner (since 2009), providing HIV care and treatment programs in 101 health facilities throughout 8 of Malawi’s 28 districts. PIH works across programs, policy, science, clinical education, and health service delivery.                         

PIH has a private medical center where patients with any condition are seen, and a PEPFAR-funded free clinic (Moyo) with more than 5,000 patients currently on ART. PIH’s ability to provide both basic and advanced HIV care, as well as its designation as a PEPFAR Care and Treatment partner, places the organization in a unique position to work fluidly across clinical and laboratory services, government systems, and private and public sectors – all of which facilitiate  implementation of high-quality public health initiatives.

PIH has a longstanding relationship with the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, with over 10 years of collaboration across implementation science, clinical care, and medical education. The PIH-UCLA partnership has mobilized a multi-disciplinary and multi-national group of researchers to respond to priority questions that directly impact the quality and accessibility of HIV services. The team focuses on the intersection between: HIV and gender (i.e., how to engage men in care); HIV and other diseases (non-communicable diseases and cervical cancer screening and treatment); and HIV and quality improvement (i.e., addressing provider burnout and improving implementation of viral load programs).

Over the past five years, PIH has published more than 25 articles in top peer-reviewed journals and presented over 35 abstracts at regional and international conferences. The team also organizes a monthly brown bag series and other informal activities to encourage exchange among researchers and medical professionals. The PIH-UCLA partnership provides outstanding mentorship from Malawian and UCLA researchers, and an excellent opportunity for GloCal fellows to pursue mentored research in the areas of HIV and it’s various intersections.

Site contact: Dr. Sam Phiri