A woman carrying her child.

About Us

Everyone deserves access to the health care they need to reach their full potential. 

For more than 60 years, Project HOPE has transformed the health and well-being of people and communities around the world. We work on the front lines of the world’s health challenges, partnering hand-in-hand with communities, health care workers and public health systems to ensure sustainable change.

Healing people. Transforming lives.

woman with a stethoscope As the world’s population rises, a growing shortage of health care workers threatens to undermine incredible gains in global health. We’re building a different world: a strong and resilient global community of health care workers who practice innovative solutions in their communities — and then pass them on to others.

Project HOPE places power in the hands of local health care workers to save lives around the world. Whether training midwives in Sierra Leone, outfitting hospitals in Indonesia, or resupplying clinics devastated by disaster, we are committed to empowering health care workers with the support they need to heal people who need it most.

We also believe in long-term solutions that transform lives and communities. Ending preventable deaths of mothers and newborns. Putting an end to AIDS and Tuberculosis. Strengthening health care systems to withstand disaster. Advancing health policy that can change lives.

That’s what HOPE looks like.

three woman together looking at a baby that one woman is holding. Everyone is smiling.

What we do

Project HOPE works in five main areas: disasters and health crises; infectious diseases; noncommunicable diseases; maternal, neonatal and child health; and health policy.

In disaster, crisis and beyond, HOPE is there: providing direct health care services, equipping clinics and hospitals, training local health care workers, and delivering solutions that help people access the health care services they need.

When disaster strikes in places like the Bahamas and Mozambique, our emergency response teams are on the ground — providing care for evacuees and supporting local health care systems through recovery.

When mothers and babies are at risk in places like Sierra Leone and Indonesia, HOPE trains nurses and midwives with the skills they need to save lives.

When refugees and migrants cross the border looking for a better life, HOPE supports the health systems that will take them on.

And when people with HIV want a different future for their families, HOPE engages entire communities to break down barriers and change the narrative.

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Project HOPE’s Impact in 2020 >

Health Affairs

Founded in 1981, Health Affairs is the leading journal of health policy thought and research in the United States. Non-partisan and peer-reviewed, Health Affairs has been cited by U.S. administration officials, lawmakers, and the Supreme Court.

Learn more at healthaffairs.org >

Two nurses learning to take care of child patient.

How we work

  1. We put those in need first. When disaster strikes, we respond. When disease breaks out, we stay behind. Project HOPE has responded to every major disaster since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, often staying beyond our initial response to help address health concerns as communities rebuild.
  2. We empower health care workers. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Project HOPE works within existing health systems to empower local health care workers with the knowledge and skills they need to impact their own communities.
  3. We unite humanitarians to bring about lasting change. Global health isn’t a challenge we can solve alone. We work hand-in-hand with partners, public health systems, local organizations and community leaders to implement real, lasting solutions. We are especially thankful for our volunteers and donors, without whom our work wouldn’t be possible.
  4. We safeguard operational excellence. Project HOPE prioritizes compliance, accountability and transparency in everything we do. We take stewardship seriously, and we work to maximize the value of every contribution we receive. Learn more about our financial accountability.
  5. We adapt. Meeting the world’s greatest health challenges means looking forward. We are agile and adaptable, focused on the innovative approaches that bring about long-term change.
Project HOPE volunteer nurse practitioner Nicole Merrill, left, treats patient Farah Derisma, 11, right (DO NOT USE REAL NAME - FOR MATCHING TO AUDIO INTVU ONLY) evacuated from Abaco at a shelter in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. (James Buck / Project HOPE)
Project HOPE medical personnel Dr. Andre Gvozden flew with Mozambique military and Ministry of Health personnel to the remote rural village of Grudja in with medical supplies. A large crowd turned out to greet the incoming helicopter and aid workers, and carry supplies to the village from the helicopter landing area in a field. MoH and PH set up clinic under trees near the village's health clinic which had been destroyed by the cyclone with medical equipment and debris scattered out front, destroyed and muddy. Around the village, structures had been destroyed. The community water pump is the source of water -- cite cholera concerns here.
Project HOPE medical personnel Andre and Edison) flew with Mozambique military and Ministry of Health personnel to the remote rural village of Macorococho in Nhamatanda region with medical supplies. A large crowd turned out to greet the incoming helicopter and aid workers, and carry supplies to the village from the helicopter landing area in a field. MoH and PH set up clinic in the village's health clinic - one that was fortunately not destroyed by the cyclone like others we've seen. Along with local health staff, the MoH and PH personnel saw patients (Andre seated at table doing pediatrics) and Edison conducted malaria tests and gave out medications. Around 70 patients were seen in 2.5 hrs and conducted 93 malaria tests free of charge. The line was across the porch and down the steps full of parents and children eager to be treated (see photos of crowds on porch). Around the village, structures had been destroyed (see destroyed house with people visible through holes in former walls and makeshift shelters were visible (women cooking in front of pile or rubble next to destroyed house). The community water pump is the source of water -- cite cholera concerns here.
Nurses carry a baby at a hospital in Colombia
The migration of a million Venezuelan refugees to neighboring Colombia has created a health crisis in the country, especially for the refugee population. Among the most vulnerable are expectant mothers and newborns.
Nurses train in the Dominican Republic
Nurses participate in a training led by Project HOPE at a local hospital in the Dominican Republic.
Health workers from Project Hope serve patients to the resident's home.
The Project Hope has started health service for victims of the Palu earthquake, by activating the Dolo Health Center as a medical service center.
Nurses carry a baby at a hospital in ColombiaNurses train in the Dominican Republic

Our history

black and white image of S.S. HOPE
Project HOPE began as the S.S. HOPE, the world’s first peacetime hospital ship, in 1958. Over the next 14 years, the S.S. HOPE made 11 voyages to provide care to vulnerable communities around the world. Today, the spirit of the S.S. HOPE lives on in our land-based programs and in the dedication of our team members and volunteers, who work every day to empower local health care workers in communities that need it most.

Learn more about our history >

Our visual identity

Everything HOPE stands for as an organization is built on the legacy of the S.S. HOPE and what it meant to those who saw it sailing over the horizon on a mission of mercy. Our visual identity honors that past while reflecting what sits at the center of our mission: the personal connection between a person who needs care and another who can provide it.

Learn more about our visual identity >