Imagine a world in which even the remotest inhabitants have access to good healthcare. That’s the vision of Health for Humanity, an international, not-for-profit, Baha'i-inspired organization that works with local partners to improve the health of their populations.

Based in Wilmette, Ill., near the Baha'i House of Worship, Health for Humanity has as its central principles the oneness of humanity, the nobility of humankind, non-adversarial group decision-making and the need for emotional, intellectual, spiritual and physical well being.

Health for Humanity volunteers work on a blindness
prevention program in Albania

“Before we can make any progress to address the development challenges in our world, we have to first acknowledge that we are all members of one human family and that the welfare of each of us affects us all,” says Dr. May Khadem, executive director of Health for Humanity, Chicago ophthalmologist and lifelong Baha'i.

“In particular,” she says, “we have to ensure that Healthy for Humanity projects and activities uphold the equality of women and men.”

To that end, Health for Humanity’s current projects include working with local healthcare providers in Albania, Cameroon and Mongolia to help prevent avoidable blindness, working with local healthcare providers in China to improve the quality of life for children with disabilities, and working with hospitals in China and Mongolia to improve their continuing medical education programs in multiple medical disciplines.

Listen to a podcast of Dr. Khadem discussing Health for Humanity’s quest to prevent blindness around the world on Chicago Public Radio as part of the Worldview program’s Global Activism series.