Fe del Mundo
There are some people who change everything, knocking down barriers and building afresh. Fe del Mundo was one of these people. Talented and driven, she changed the Philippines healthcare system for good.
Born in Manila in 1911, Fe del Mundo was one of eight children and grew up opposite the city’s cathedral. Three of her siblings died in infancy, something that was sadly common at the time. This inspired her to become a doctor and to improve healthcare for the poor.
Del Mundo graduated from the University of the Philippines in 1933 and passed the medical board the same year. In 1939, she began a two-year fellowship at Harvard Medical School’s Children’s Hospital and in 1940, earned a master’s degree in bacteriology in the city.
She returned to the Philippines in 1941, shortly before the Japanese invasion of the island. During the war, del Mundo joined the International Red Cross and volunteered with detainees at the University of Santo Tomas internment camp for foreign nationals.
In 1954, del Mundo became head of the Department of Pediatrics at Far Eastern University, a position she held for more than two decades. It was during this period that she founded the Children's Medical Center Foundation in Quezon City.
Del Mundo sold her home and most of her belingings in order to finance the construction of the foundation. She also took out a large loan in an effort to get the project completed. The 107-bed hospital, the first children’s hospital in the Philippines, was inaugurated in 1957.
The Fight For And The Liberation Of Manila - 1945 - Macarthur (1945-02) by Carl MydansLIFE Photo Collection
The foundation transformed the lives of thousands of poor children who had previously had little or no access to healthcare. The hospital provided family planning services, helped breastfeeding mothers ,and treated preventable health issues like malnutrition and dehydration.
By Carl MydansLIFE Photo Collection
During her career she also helped to further the understanding of dengue fever. She campaigned for the better integration of public services and innovated numerous medical products to make them accessible to rural communities.
Fe del Mundo
In 1977, del Mundo was named Outstanding Pediatrician and Humanitarian by the International Pediatric Association. In 1980, she was the first Filipino woman to be named National Scientist, and in 2008, she received the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Award from the AY Foundation.
Thanks to her medical breakthroughs, her creation of the Children's Foundation, and her work in immunizations and preventable diseases, del Mundo revolutionized healthcare in the Philippines. Her work gave millions access to better medical care and saved countless lives.
85199 (1970-09) by John OlsonLIFE Photo Collection
Learn more about pioneering women of culture.
