Our History
Since its inception in 1958, Project HOPE has been dedicated to addressing the world’s most pressing health challenges.
65 Years of Impact
Project HOPE began as the S.S. HOPE, the world’s first peacetime hospital ship, which made 11 voyages to provide care and train health care workers around the world. Over the next 14 years, the S.S. HOPE made 11 voyages to every region of the world, providing health care for local communities and strengthening health systems.
Since the ship’s retirement in 1974, the spirit of the S.S. HOPE lives on through our global team members, technical experts, and medical volunteers who work in more than 25 countries to expand equitable access to healthcare worldwide.
1958
Dr. William B. Walsh works with President Eisenhower to purchase a retired Navy hospital vessel. Project HOPE is incorporated on December 29th.
1960
The SS HOPE departs San Francisco for its inaugural voyages to Indonesia and South Vietnam.
1970s
Project HOPE expands its land-based programs and becomes the only U.S. private volunteer organization to work behind the Iron Curtain.
1981
Project HOPE establishes the Center for Health Affairs to research, analyze, and disseminate information about the state of health care systems in the United States and throughout the world, resulting in the birth of the “Health Affairs” journal.
1987
President Ronald Reagan awards Dr. William B. Walsh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, praising his humanitarian efforts and contributions to world health improvement.
2003
Project HOPE establishes the Wuhan University HOPE School of Nursing in China, in partnership with Wuhan University.
2007
Project HOPE celebrates 50 years of lifesaving work while growing its work to include a new diabetes education program in India, a new pediatric cardiac tower at Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, and three humanitarian missions in partnership with the U.S. Navy to Latin America, Southeast Asia, and West Africa.
2015
Project HOPE is one of the first organizations to coordinate relief efforts following the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Nepal, treating 1,500 patients and delivering more than $15.8 million in medicines that benefited 231,000 people.
2020
Project HOPE launches a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including medical volunteer deployments, health worker trainings, mental health support for health workers, and more than 11 million pieces of PPE.
2022
Project HOPE launches a comprehensive response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with emergency relief and humanitarian programs that stretch across four countries and grow to reach more than 1 million people.
2023
Following the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and the ensuing violence in Gaza, Project HOPE launched a coordinated, regional response to provide lifesaving aid and support the urgent humanitarian needs of both Palestinian and Israeli communities affected by the conflict.
