Social Innovation Fellow Rajesh Panjabi rethinks healthcare in Liberia

Emily Spivack ( Bio  /   Posts )  |  Saturday, October 23, 2010 UTC

When Rajesh Panjabi was nine years old, a war erupted in his home country of Liberia. When the war encroached on his hometown, his family had to leave. On the airport’s tarmac, Panjabi, his sister, and mother were separated on the tarmac from poorer Liberians. His family got on the plane and out of the country. The less fortunate did not. That memory stuck with him. Years later, as a trained medical professional, he returned to Liberia and saw the lasting mass destruction and utter lack of healthcare. This prompted him to co-found Tiyatien Health (TH).

Rajesh Panjabi

TH builds relationships between rural health centers and their surrounding communities, working towards greater equality in healthcare delivery. The organization leverages community health workers who accompany patients through their illness and beyond – providing the sick with home-based care, a designated caregiver to help them navigate the medical system, and links to social and economic support. TH hopes to scale the program to redefine how healthcare is provided throughout Liberia.

(Photo credit: Kris Krüg)

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