Isata Dumbuya Named To TIME’s Annual Women Of The Year List Recognizing 16 Leaders Working Toward A More Equitable World
Partners In Health Sierra Leone Director Recognized for Leadership in Maternal Health
Kono District, Sierra Leone (February 26, 2026) – TIME has named Isata Dumbuya, Director of Nursing and Midwifery for Partners In Health Sierra Leone’s Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) program at the Maternal Center of Excellence, to its annual TIME Women of the Year list, recognizing 16 women leaders working toward a better, more equitable world. The full list of honorees and related tributes will appear in a Women of the Year issue of TIME, available on newsstands beginning Friday, February 27, 2026, and now at time.com/woty.
Dumbuya’s recognition highlights her pivotal work in her home country of Sierra Leone, where she joined PIH in 2018. She played a seminal role in the launch and development of the Paul E. Farmer Maternal Center of Excellence (MCOE), a state-of-the-art 120-bed facility within Koidu Government Hospital. Developed in partnership with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health and in collaboration with Build Health International, the MCOE was designed to dramatically expand the hospital’s existing 48-bed maternity ward and special care baby unit into a comprehensive four-building center featuring three operating theaters and the country’s first neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Additionally, it is the first facility outside of the capital city, Freetown, to provide piped medical gas directly to patient beds.
The Sierra Leonean government has made significant progress reducing maternal mortality through decades of coordinated investments and ambitious policy reforms. Despite this, women in Sierra Leone still face a 1 in 74 lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth. The ambition and advancements of the MCOE are aimed at driving Sierra Leone’s staggering maternal mortality rate toward zero.
“Isata’s inclusion in TIME’s Women of the Year list is a powerful affirmation of her relentless dedication to health equity,” said Dr. Sheila Davis, CEO of PIH. “Her vision and leadership, especially in supporting the Paul E. Farmer Maternal Center of Excellence in Sierra Leone, are not just inspiring; they are saving lives and redefining what is possible in global maternal and child health. The entire Partners In Health community is so proud of Isata and her work.”
“It is an honor to be recognized for work that is truly a collective effort at Partners In Health,” said Isata Dumbuya, Director of Nursing and Midwifery, RMNCAH program. “I am so proud and grateful to share this spotlight with the thousands of colleagues, especially the heroic nurses, midwives, and doctors in Sierra Leone, whose unwavering commitment is the foundation of our work. Together, we are proving that health equity is not just a dream but can be a life-saving reality.”
A highly decorated public health expert, Dumbuya’s professional background includes 25 years of service with the National Health Service in the UK as a nurse, midwife, and public health specialist, before she pivoted her attention to maternal care in Sierra Leone. Her credentials include RN, RM, SPHN, BSc, MA, and MSc, as a Registered Adult Nurse, Registered Midwife Specialist, and Public Health Nurse for Children aged 0-19 years. She is also a Global Nurse Executive Fellow and a recipient of the 2022 Women in Global Health Heroine Award.
Dumbuya is a passionate nurse and midwife who shares the bond of motherhood with her patients, grounding her leadership in both professional expertise and lived experience. She remains closely involved in the MCOE’s operations, which officially opened to the public on February 14, 2026, and will serve as a crucial training center for Sierra Leonean health workers, including doctors, nurses, and midwives.
About Partners In Health
Partners In Health is a non-profit global health organization founded in 1987 that works to provide high quality care to those who need it most and to strengthen local health systems in partnership with national governments and local institutions. PIH’s approach emphasizes social justice, equity, long-term partnership, and comprehensive care to improve health outcomes and address structural barriers to health. As of today, PIH runs programs across four continents, where it provides direct care to millions of patients, through public facilities and community engagement.
Please contact media@pih.org with any press inquiries.
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