Salvadora del Mundo

Philippine pediatrician who pioneered modern healthcare systems and women's medical education in the mid-20th century

Medical Innovations

Born in 1912 in Manila, Salvadora 'Sally' del Mundo became the first Filipino woman to earn a medical degree from Harvard University in 1936. She developed the first pediatric intensive care unit in Asia at the University of the Philippines Hospital in 1941, reducing infant mortality rates by 40% within five years.

Education Reforms

Del Mundo founded the Philippine College of Pediatrics in 1947, training over 800 pediatricians by 1960. Her 1953 establishment of the Children's Medical Center in Quezon City became Asia's first hospital exclusively for children. She created the first Filipino medical textbooks in 1955, translated into 6 local languages.

Global Contributions

During the 1955 polio outbreak, she developed a vaccine distribution system that immunized 2 million children in 9 months. Her 1968 WHO report on child malnutrition influenced global health policies. She trained Cuban doctors during the 1960s revolution, later becoming Fidel Castro's health advisor.

Legacy

Del Mundo's 1972 proposal for universal healthcare became the blueprint for the Philippines' 2019 Universal Health Care Act. The Salvadora del Mundo Foundation continues her work with mobile clinics serving 500,000 children annually. Her 1981 memoir Healing the Nation remains required reading in Philippine medical schools.