Project World Health

Who We Are

Project World Health (PWH) is a unique organization founded and led by medical students at the University of South Florida. Since its establishment in 1991, PWH has provided basic health-care services to impoverished communities abroad. Its mission is to meet the needs of underserved communities by offering sustainable patient care, health education and preventative medicine.

Originally, the group provided medical supplies and assistance on service trips to underserved populations in Colombia, Haiti, Honduras and Cuba. In 2000, PWH embarked on its first trip to Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, with a small team of students, one physician and one nurse.

Since then, over 900 PWH students have volunteered on medical outreach trips to Jarabacoa. The team has grown from just 13 on the first trip to Cuba to over 100 students, nurses and physicians on the 2019 Jarabacoa trip. After a brief hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization resumed its mission in 2023 with eager students, residents and nurses ready to provide international health care. Through their passion and dedication, we aim to continue the PWH mission for many years to come.

What We Do

During PWH's 2024 trip to the Dominican Republic, its team of dedicated students, residents, dentists, nurses and other volunteers treated more than 400 patients and dispensed over $10,000 worth of medications in just five days. With donations from our supporters, PWH can have an even greater impact in 2025.

Your Impact

In March 2025, PWH will return to Jarabacoa to examine patients, make diagnoses, perform minor procedures, prescribe medications and distribute hygiene products. Its interprofessional group, including physicians, residents, nurses, pharmacists and USF medical students, expects to serve hundreds of individuals throughout the week. For many, this will be the only health care they receive all year.

Your contribution will help raise money for medication and supplies that cannot be donated and support travel expenses in recruiting a dedicated group of skilled volunteers.

USF Faculty and Staff: You can give online through this site or complete this payroll deduction form (enter fund #251320, Project World Health Fund) and email it to fscampaign@usf.edu.

What Your Generosity Will Do

Your generosity will enable the PWH team to travel to the Dominican Republic and purchase medications, multivitamins, dental supplies and other hygiene products for the local community.

Spread the Word

We are counting on your help! Make an even bigger impact by sharing your support of this campaign using the social media tools at the top of this page.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Need help with your post? Try this message:

Support USF Health physicians, residents, nurses, pharmacists and medical students in their mission to provide medical care to underserved Dominican Republican communities at usf.to/projectworldhealth.

Your contribution changes lives around the world! Thank you and Go Bulls! 🤘