PSI

PSI is a global non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of people in the developing world by focusing on serious challenges like a lack of family planning, HIV/AIDS, maternal health, and the greatest threats to children under five, including malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition.

History

PSI was founded in 1970 to improve reproductive health using commercial marketing strategies. For its first 15 years, PSI worked mostly in family planning (hence the name Population Services International). In 1985, it started promoting oral rehydration therapy. PSI’s first HIV prevention project — which promoted abstinence, fidelity and condoms — began in 1988. PSI added malaria and safe water to its portfolio in the 1990s and tuberculosis in 2004.

Health Impact

PSI has an uncommon focus on measurable health impact and attempts to measure its effect on disease and death much like a for-profit measures its profits. In 2009, PSI estimates that its programs directly prevented 177,000 HIV infections, four million unintended pregnancies, more than 300,000 deaths from malaria and diarrhea and almost 40 million malaria episodes.

Program Location

World headquarters in Washington, D.C., presence in 67 countries, European office in Amsterdam.

People

Roughly 200 U.S. staff, more than 100 overseas expatriate staff and almost 9,000 local PSI affiliate staff.

2009 Revenue (budget)

$524 million.

Donors

Major donors include the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands; the Global Fund, United Nations agencies, private foundations, corporations and individuals.