HealthRight International

HealthRight International is a New York-based nonprofit organization working at the intersection of public health and human rights. Founded in 1990 by physician and human-rights advocate Jonathan Mann, the organization was established to address what Mann viewed as a gap in the United States between conventional health-service institutions and organizations defending human rights. It initially operated under the name Doctors of the World-USA before adopting the HealthRight International identity. The organization’s central premise is that access to health care is closely connected to the ability to exercise basic rights. Rather than limiting its work to clinical treatment, HealthRight combines medical services with mental-health support, social assistance, legal or rights-oriented services, community outreach, and institutional capacity building. Its programs are designed for populations that are frequently excluded from mainstream systems, including displaced people, refugees, women and children in difficult circumstances, people living with or at risk of HIV, adolescents, survivors of violence, and communities affected by conflict or poverty. HealthRight has worked in more than 30 countries over the course of its history. Its stated operating areas include the United States, Kenya, Ukraine, Uganda, and Vietnam. The organization generally works through local partnerships and civil-society organizations, seeking to strengthen local service providers rather than relying only on short-term direct relief. This model includes introducing community-based service methods, integrating mental-health interventions into other health programs, and supporting local organizations so that services can continue after an individual project ends. A significant early episode occurred during the Haitian refugee crisis in 1993, when the organization, still known as Doctors of the World-USA, provided a presence at the refugee camp at Guantanamo Bay. Its staff and representatives criticized conditions and publicly condemned reported abuses associated with the camp. This experience reinforced the organization’s human-rights-oriented approach to humanitarian health work. HealthRight also maintains a substantial focus on Ukraine. Its Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health, established in 2008, works with Ukrainian public institutions and international partners on services for young women and girls, pregnant women, young mothers, children, adolescents, people living with HIV, and individuals involved with the justice system. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, HealthRight and the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health continued operating inside the country, expanded personnel, and concentrated on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health among displaced and conflict-affected populations. With UNICEF support, the Ukrainian foundation organized mobile teams combining social workers, lawyers, physicians, and psychologists at reception points for displaced people. Global mental health became another important pillar after HealthRight merged with the Peter C. Alderman Foundation in 2018. The foundation had specialized in helping professionals and local caregivers address psychological trauma in post-conflict settings by combining Western clinical techniques with regional healing practices. After the merger, this work continued as the Peter C. Alderman Program for Global Mental Health within HealthRight. HealthRight’s health programs include HIV prevention, testing, education, and integrated mental-health services. One example is the SACCO Health and Wellness project in Kenya, which worked with transportation savings and cooperative organizations serving boda boda motorbike drivers. The project sought to increase HIV testing among men and their partners while addressing mental-health barriers and the effects of the COVID-19 period. A pilot in Kitale tested approximately 5,000 men and their partners during 2018–2019. The organization is a United States 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its public-facing identity is therefore associated less with consumer products than with humanitarian health delivery, rights advocacy, community partnerships, and professional support for underserved populations. HealthRight also hosts the Health + Human Rights Awards, using the event to recognize work related to health equity and human rights while raising visibility for its mission.

HealthRight International was founded in 1990 by Jonathan Mann, a physician and prominent advocate for the connection between health and human rights. Mann created the organization in response to what he perceived as a lack of institutions in the United States that could address health access and rights protection together. The organization originally operated as Doctors of the World-USA and developed a model centered on long-term programs rather than isolated emergency interventions. During the Haitian refugee crisis in 1993, Doctors of the World-USA worked in the refugee camp at Guantanamo Bay. The organization’s representatives criticized the conditions they observed and publicly condemned abuses associated with the camp. The episode helped establish a pattern that would remain central to HealthRight’s identity: delivering health services while also speaking about the rights and dignity of people affected by displacement, detention, poverty, or conflict. Over time, the organization adopted the HealthRight International name and expanded its geographic reach. Its work has extended across more than 30 countries, with programs combining health care, mental-health services, social support, legal assistance, community education, and training for local organizations. HealthRight’s approach emphasizes marginalized populations that may face multiple barriers to care, including women and children in difficult living conditions, adolescents, refugees, displaced people, people living with HIV, and survivors of violence. In 2008, HealthRight established the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health as a country-specific subsidiary. The foundation became a major vehicle for the organization’s work in Ukraine, collaborating with the Ukrainian Ministries of Health and Social Policy. Its programs have addressed the needs of young women and girls, pregnant women and young mothers at risk of losing parental rights, children, adolescents, people living with HIV, and people in conflict with the law. Halyna Skipalska has been identified as the foundation’s chief executive and HealthRight’s country director for Ukraine. Mental health became more prominent in the organization’s international portfolio through its relationship with the Peter C. Alderman Foundation. PCAF supported medical professionals and indigenous caregivers treating psychological trauma in countries affected by terrorism and mass violence. Its methods combined Western mental-health techniques with local healing traditions. On April 23, 2018, HealthRight and PCAF announced a merger. PCAF’s expertise was incorporated into HealthRight’s programs and subsequently operated as the Peter C. Alderman Program for Global Mental Health. HealthRight’s HIV work illustrates its preference for integrated and community-based interventions. The SACCO Health and Wellness project in Kenya partnered with transportation savings and cooperative organizations serving boda boda drivers. The initiative combined HIV education and testing with mental-health support, addressing both infectious-disease outcomes and the psychological consequences that can limit engagement with care. A pilot in Kitale during 2018–2019 tested approximately 5,000 men and their partners, and the project was later presented in connection with the Gilead Zeroing In conference. The organization continued its Ukraine work after the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. HealthRight and the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health maintained services for vulnerable communities and war survivors, while increasing personnel during the first months of the conflict. Their response focused particularly on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health among displaced people. With support from UNICEF, the Ukrainian foundation deployed 50 mobile response teams made up of social workers, lawyers, physicians, and psychologists at reception points across the country. HealthRight remains a United States 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in New York City. Its public identity is based on health equity, human-rights advocacy, local partnership, and the integration of medical and psychosocial services. The organization has also hosted the Health + Human Rights Awards, an event connected with its effort to recognize advocacy and mobilize resources for health challenges affecting underserved communities.

• 2022

  Expanded response to the war in Ukraine

  [1]HealthRight Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  HealthRight and its Ukrainian foundation expanded staffing and deployed mobile multidisciplinary teams for displaced and conflict-affected communities.

• 2018

  Merger with the Peter C. Alderman Foundation

  [1]HealthRight Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  HealthRight merged with PCAF to strengthen its global mental-health work in post-conflict and mass-violence settings.

• 2018

  Kenya SACCO project pilot

  [1]HealthRight Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The SACCO Health and Wellness model was piloted in Kitale, integrating HIV testing for boda boda drivers and partners with mental-health interventions.

• 2008

  Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health established

  [1]HealthRight Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  HealthRight created a Ukraine-specific subsidiary to expand services for vulnerable women, children, adolescents, families, and people living with HIV.

• 1993

  Work during the Haitian refugee crisis

  [1]HealthRight Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  Then operating as Doctors of the World-USA, the organization worked at the Haitian refugee camp at Guantanamo Bay and publicly criticized conditions and reported abuses.

• 1990

  Organization founded

  [1]HealthRight Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  Jonathan Mann founded the organization to advance health and human rights through long-term domestic and international programs.

A humanitarian health and human-rights organization focused on integrated, community-based services for marginalized and conflict-affected populations. HealthRight differentiates itself by combining clinical care with mental-health, social, legal, and civil-society capacity-building work.

• HIV prevention and integrated mental-health services · 2019

  SACCO Health and Wellness project

  A Kenya-based community health model developed with transportation savings and cooperative organizations serving boda boda motorbike drivers. It combines HIV education and testing for men and their partners with mental-health interventions intended to improve engagement with prevention and care. The Kitale pilot tested approximately 5,000 men and their partners during 2018–2019.

• Global mental-health program · 2018

  Peter C. Alderman Program for Global Mental Health

  The program carries forward the Peter C. Alderman Foundation’s work supporting medical professionals and local caregivers who treat psychological trauma in post-conflict settings. Its approach combines Western mental-health methods with regional healing traditions and is intended for communities affected by terrorism, mass violence, and other severe crises.

• Humanitarian health and social services · 2022

  Ukraine mobile response services

  Multidisciplinary mobile teams operated by the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health with UNICEF support. The teams bring together social workers, lawyers, physicians, and psychologists to assist displaced Ukrainians at reception points, with particular attention to reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health.

• 2022Ukraine wartime humanitarian health response

  Ukraine

  HealthRight and the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health maintained services after Russia’s full-scale invasion, prioritizing displaced populations and reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health.

  Outcome. The organizations expanded personnel and, with UNICEF support, operated 50 mobile teams offering medical, psychological, legal, and social assistance.

  Source
• 2018SACCO Health and Wellness pilot

  Kenya

  HealthRight partnered with boda boda transportation cooperatives in Kitale to reach men and their partners with HIV education, testing, and mental-health support.

  Outcome. The pilot tested approximately 5,000 men and their partners and was subsequently cited as an innovative integrated-health model.

  Source
• Health + Human Rights Awards

  International

  HealthRight has hosted awards recognizing work connected with health equity and human rights while helping draw attention and resources to local health challenges.

  Source

• 2022

  Prioritization of integrated services in wartime UkraineStrategy

  Background

  The Russian invasion created large-scale displacement and intensified health, protection, and psychosocial needs inside Ukraine.

  Action taken

  HealthRight and the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health expanded personnel, focused on reproductive and broader maternal and child health, and supported mobile teams combining medical, psychological, legal, and social services.

  Aftermath

  The organizations continued serving vulnerable communities and war survivors inside Ukraine, including displaced people at reception points.

  Source

• 2018

  Merger with the Peter C. Alderman FoundationM&A

  Background

  HealthRight sought to strengthen mental-health services for underserved communities, while the Peter C. Alderman Foundation brought specialized knowledge of trauma care in post-conflict and mass-violence settings.

  Action taken

  The organizations announced and completed a merger, incorporating PCAF’s expertise into HealthRight’s international programs under the Peter C. Alderman Program for Global Mental Health.

  Aftermath

  The merger broadened HealthRight’s global mental-health capabilities and preserved PCAF’s programmatic identity within the combined organization.

  Source

1. 1HealthRight Internationalen.wikipedia.org
2. 2HealthRight International official websitehealthright.org