For over 45 years, JSI has been at the forefront of global public health. We are an international nongovernmental organization dedicated to improving lives through greater health, education, and socioeconomic equity for individuals and communities. Our global team of over 3,500 dedicated staff supports governments, health professionals, civil society, and community leaders in more than 40 countries. We provide technical expertise for complex, locally led public health initiatives ranging from pandemic preparedness, health information systems, and supply chains to workforce development and digital education.
Our namesake, John Snow, was the famed British physician, often hailed as a founder of modern epidemiology for his groundbreaking statistical mapping of the cholera outbreak in nineteenth-century London. By meticulously tracing infections and intensely engaging with communities, Dr. Snow pinpointed a contaminated water pump on Broad Street as a primary source of the outbreak—long before the widespread acceptance of germ theory. At JSI, we continue to embody Dr. Snow’s spirit of inquiry through our commitment to community insights, reliance on data-driven strategies, and enthusiasm for innovative tools and ideas.
Joel Lamstein was president and CEO of JSI and JSI Research & Training from inception and became president of World Education in 1982. He remained in these positions until 2022. Under Mr. Lamstein’s leadership, the family of JSI organizations established its pre-eminent position in global public health as a trusted and effective partner to community-based organizations, the private sector, and government agencies.
Today, JSI stands as the merger of four organizations, each with a storied legacy and strong connection to one another: John Snow, Inc., founded by Mr. Lamstein and Norbert Hirschhorn in 1978; JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. founded in 1980; World Education, Inc., founded in 1951 by Welthy Fisher; and The Manoff Group, founded in 1967 by Richard Manoff and led by Marcia Griffiths for decades. Additionally, JSI was the sole member of the Partnership for Supply Chain Management, a collaborative initiative established in 2005 to manage secure and sustainable global supply chains for high-quality and affordable health products.
Fortified with a strategic vision honed over 45 years and an unwavering commitment to collaboration with local partners, we navigate complex systems to deliver transformative outcomes. By leveraging data and digital tools to track and anticipate evolving health behaviors and needs, JSI fosters sustainable change on a global scale.