HONORING OPHELIA DAHL
Co-Founder of Partners In Health
Champion of Global Health and Human Rights
Ophelia Dahl, co-founder of Partners In Health (PIH), has been a driving force in revolutionizing healthcare delivery for the most vulnerable populations. Her tireless dedication to improving access to high-quality healthcare in impoverished regions has transformed countless lives and communities. Under Dahl’s leadership, PIH has grown into a leading organization in global health, known for its innovative approaches to treating infectious diseases and its advocacy for health equity.
PIH’s history, from its origins in Haiti’s rural Central Plateau, where Ms. Dahl met PIH co-founder Paul Farmer over thirty years ago, through its expansion to ten countries on four continents and a global movement for the human right to health, was captured in the feature-length documentary “Bending the Arc.” Ms. Dahl led PIH as Executive Director for 16 years, and now chairs its Board of Directors.
Dahl’s dedication to social justice extends beyond her work with PIH. With the support of Dahl and PIH, Regis in Haiti was launched in 2007, allowing Regis to expand its reach and serve the dear neighbor in Haiti. Inspired by Dahl, Regis in Haiti has spent the last 17 years working to increase access to quality care throughout the country and improve patient outcomes by advancing nursing education, leadership, and opportunity.
Dahl's life and career exemplify the power of dedication and empathy in effecting change, and her contributions to global health and social justice have set a new standard for humanitarian work.
Ms. Dahl is a Trustee of Wellesley College, her alma mater, and a member of the Boards of Directors of the University of Global Health Equity, the Equal Justice Initiative, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative. She is on the Board of Silkroad and the Advisory Board of the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital. Ms. Dahl is a recipient of the Radcliffe Medal, Union Theological Seminary’s Union Medal and, together with her PIH colleagues, the Hilton Humanitarian prize. She lives in Cambridge, MA with her family.