About Fred
Fred de Sam Lazaro is director of the Under-Told Stories Project at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, a program that combines international journalism and teaching. He has served with the PBS NewsHour since 1985 and is a regular contributor and substitute anchor for PBS' Religion and Ethics Newsweekly.
He also has directed films from India and the Democratic Republic of Congo for the documentary series Wide Angle. Fred has reported from more than 60 countries: from Haiti to sub-Saharan Africa to south Asia. He has focused on stories that are under-reported in the mainstream U.S. media. In addition to regularly covering AIDS, public health concerns, development issues and social entrepreneurship, he led the first American crew to report on the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region.
Fred is the recipient of two honorary doctorates, numerous journalism awards and media fellowships from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the University of Michigan. He serves on the board of Minnpost and was a trustee at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, his alma mater. He also has served on the boards of the Asian American Journalists Association and the Children's Law Center of Minnesota.
Fred’s Recent Stories
World Dec 27
Erasing the pain and taboo of this female injuryRoughly one million women in the developing world suffer from obstetric fistula, an injury that results from inadequate medical care and causes incontinence. But beyond the physical effects, the condition can subject them to shame and isolation from their families.
World Dec 19
Impact of ‘global gag rule’ goes beyond abortion for these health groups in KenyaThe so-called global gag rule, which cuts off some U.S. government aid to health agencies that offer or mention abortion services, has been reinstated by every Republican president going back to Reagan. But the Trump administration has gone much further,…
Health Dec 14
Fighting the public health threat of counterfeit drugsFake pharmaceuticals are a multi-billion dollar problem around the world. Made and packaged to look like the real deal, these phonies may contain a fraction of the active ingredients or none at all. these fake drugs can have serious consequences…
World Nov 24
This all-women’s college is training Rwanda’s future leadersThe first all-female college in Rwanda is making strides in empowering women from all backgrounds to become the nation’s next business leaders, part of an effort to leave behind an image of a violent country, wracked by genocide. At the…
World Nov 22
In remote Kenyan villages, solar startups bring lightSome 1.3 billion people around the globe don’t have access to an electric grid. But solar startup companies say harnessing an abundant resource -- the sun -- can light up some of the world’s most remote areas. In this Kenyan…
World Nov 02
For Karachi’s poorest patients, this hospital makes high-quality care accessibleJinnah Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, has long served the poorest patients despite, desperate conditions, overwhelming demand, and even falling victim to terrorism. A public-private partnership has helped the government hospital make modern updates to its equipment and care. In cooperation…
World Oct 26
Pakistan’s polio health workers make inroads toward eradicationPolio remains prevalent across Pakistan, one of only three countries in the world where the crippling viral disease is endemic. A campaign to dispense vaccinations have helped relieve the crisis, but threats of violence and misinformation from the Taliban are…
World Apr 17
This innovator is trying to make sanitary pads affordable for women in IndiaArunachalam Murugananthan is known as India's pad man. Breaking a strict taboo in India's tradition-bound society, Murugananthan worked to perfect an affordable sanitary pad in hope of starting a movement to help women in the developing world. Special correspondent Sam…
World Aug 18
Column: How my reporting trip to Ethiopia came to an abrupt endWe came to Ethiopia to report on the country’s response to a historic drought. We left with a very different story and a taste of how hard it is for journalists, even those on what should have been a mostly…
World Sep 16
Doctor slashes the cost of surgeries for India’s poorTo keep costs of heart surgeries low for poor populations in India, Narayana Health took a partnership approach.
