Celebrating 25 Years of PFMH

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health’s Program on Forced Migration and Health. At the time of its founding, our program was one of the first academic programs in the world to address the deficiencies in health services provided in humanitarian response. Twenty-five years on, we continue to champion a professionalized and critical approach to the delivery of humanitarian aid and are committed to educating the next generation of humanitarian leadership.

To commemorate this milestone, we are holding a 25th Anniversary celebration on April 25th for all PFMH alumni, current students, faculty, former faculty and friends. Our celebration will include an afternoon symposium with alumni exploring two key themes: Reflections on the Evolution of Humanitarian Standards and Accountability; and Community, Power and Voice: Looking towards the Future of Humanitarian Aid. The symposium will be followed by a conversation with Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, President of the International Peace Institute and Perry World House Professor of the Practice of Law and Human Rights at the University of Pennsylvania.

We will continue to share our PFMH story with weekly uploads of interviews highlighting our accomplishments. Please watch our latest video, an interview with Dr. Ron Waldman, founding director of the PFMH, and Dr. Carolyn Makinson, former director at the Mellon Foundation.