Code of ethics

PATH’s mission is to advance health equity through innovation and partnerships. In serving this mission, PATH is committed to lawful, responsible, and ethical behavior in all of our activities. How we apply this standard is outlined in our Principles and Policies Relating to Responsible Conduct and our Commitment to Gender Equity.

To report misconduct, call 1–888–309–1559 (in the United States) or visit our secure reporting website.

Policies and practices

PATH is responsible for the proper stewardship of our resources and the public and private support that enables us to pursue our mission. Over time, PATH has established policies and practices designed to honor our obligations to those who expect us to conduct our affairs according to the highest business ethics and in compliance with the letter and spirit of applicable law. Areas for which PATH has established principles for responsible conduct include governance, workforce environment, the ethical conduct of research, collaboration with donors and partners, financial stewardship, protection of intellectual property and confidential information, conflict of interest, communications, advocacy, and the environment.

PATH strives to ensure that these policies reflect our values, ethics, and legal requirements and are understood and observed by every employee and board member. To ensure these requirements are consistently upheld, PATH makes policies available to staff through an organizational policy portal on an internal site. We also require every employee to participate in professional conduct training. We recognize that there are times when particular policies may not address all possible issues. In such instances, we strive to directly consider the difficult conflicts and do the right thing.

Personal responsibility

PATH expects our staff, board members, affiliates, and those with whom we work to conduct themselves with the utmost integrity and in a manner that complies with the letter and spirit of all applicable laws and regulations. PATH expects each individual to make every good-faith effort to know what is expected for her or his particular role and to act with good judgment. It is critical that individuals participate in training, seek guidance, are familiar with policies and laws, and ask questions to ensure ethical conduct and report concerns regarding compliance with legal requirements or PATH policies.

Allegations and Reporting mechanisms

PATH takes all allegations of policy violations seriously. PATH maintains a whistleblower policy to easily enable employees to report any suspected wrongdoing within the organization or with any parties with which we contract. Our intention is to make every reasonable effort to prevent or detect and correct improper activities; encourage employees and others to report concerns about violations of law or policy, questionable accounting matters, or other wrongdoing or unethical conduct; and protect individuals who make such good-faith reports from retaliation.

PATH’s Investigations Response Team is responsible for managing inquiries and investigations prompted by allegations of misconduct. Final determinations and actions are made based on available evidence, and complainants are informed of high-level investigation outcomes, to the extent feasible and appropriate, while maintaining standards of confidentiality.

PATH’s first priority in addressing alleged misconduct is the safety of complainants, witnesses, and program participants. The details of inquiries and investigations are confidential to ensure the privacy and safety of complainants, involved employees, and program participants, and to guard against retaliation.

Starting in 2021, PATH’s Investigations Response Team is making available a topline summary of the allegations and subsequent outcomes of policy violations and misconduct that were investigated in the previous year.

2022 Annual Allegations Report: English, Français, Português

2021 Annual Allegations Report: English, Français, Português

2020 Annual Allegations Report: English