Raj Panjabi

Raj Panjabi, NSC Senior Director

Raj Panjabi is an American physician, social entrepreneur, and the CEO of Last Mile Health, a non-profit organization that works to extend healthcare services to remote communities in Liberia and other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. Born in Liberia, Panjabi fled the country with his family at the age of nine due to the outbreak of the Liberian Civil War. He later returned to Liberia as a medical student and, shocked by the lack of healthcare access in remote areas, co-founded Last Mile Health in 2007. Panjabi's work with Last Mile Health has been recognized globally for its innovative approach to healthcare delivery, focusing on training community health workers to provide a range of services, including preventive care, maternal and child health, and treatment for infectious diseases.

Early Life and Education

Raj Panjabi was born in Liberia to Indian parents. In 1990, his family was forced to flee to the United States due to the Liberian Civil War. Panjabi attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned his undergraduate degree. He later received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and completed his residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Career

After completing his education, Panjabi returned to Liberia, where he was confronted with the dire healthcare situation in the country's remote areas. This experience led him to co-found Last Mile Health with the mission to bring critical healthcare services to remote communities. Under Panjabi's leadership, Last Mile Health has developed a model for community-based healthcare that trains local individuals to serve as community health workers. These workers are equipped with the skills to provide a wide range of healthcare services, effectively extending the healthcare system's reach to the last mile.

Panjabi's innovative approach to healthcare has garnered attention and support from the global health community, including partnerships with the World Health Organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative. His work has demonstrated the potential for community health workers to significantly impact health outcomes in remote and underserved areas.

Awards and Recognition

Raj Panjabi has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to global health. These include the TED Prize in 2017, which provided funding and support to help fulfill his wish to train more community health workers across Africa. He has also been named to the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world and has received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship.

Philosophy and Impact

Panjabi's work is driven by the belief that every person, no matter where they live, should have access to quality healthcare. His model emphasizes the importance of local solutions and the empowerment of community members to address their own health needs. This approach has not only expanded access to healthcare but has also created jobs and strengthened communities.

The success of Last Mile Health has inspired similar initiatives in other countries, demonstrating the scalability and adaptability of Panjabi's model. His work continues to influence global health policy and practice, with a focus on achieving universal health coverage and addressing health disparities.

See Also

• Global Health
• Community Health Workers
• Healthcare in Liberia