TIP Global Health (The Ihangane Project)

TIP Global Health (formerly The Ihangane Project) has become a highly effective and scalable model for strengthening entire local health systems. They have shown that a comprehensive community-driven approach can not only address challenging health conditions like HIV, it can improve the health and economic viability of an entire community. Founded with a mandate to implement international health protocols Family Medicine Specialist Dr. Wendy Leonard first came to Rwanda in 2006 as a volunteer clinical mentor sponsored by the Clinton Global Initiative. She expected to oversee the implementation of HIV protocols established by the Rwandan Ministry of Health. What she found was a medical community who was overwhelmed by illness and lacking in basic resources. They needed critical medical knowledge required to care for their communities, but the international development community thought they needed only protocols, supplies and medication. In 2008, Dr. Leonard founded The Ihangane Project (TIP) with consistent support from the Medical Director of Ruli District Hospital, Dr. Jean de Dieu Ngirabega.  TIP’s first project was intended to establish mobile HIV services at seven rural health centers in the catchment area of Ruli, Rwanda. The Global Fund generously donated the equipment and funds needed to establish complete HIV services at these sites.