Color portrait of a smiling man wearing glasses, a checkered shirt, and a black polka-dot tie, with a stethoscope draped around his neck. He stands in a covered outdoor walkway, with a blurred background of greenery and buildings, suggesting a medical or humanitarian setting. His friendly expression conveys warmth and approachability.
Color portrait of a smiling man wearing glasses, a checkered shirt, and a black polka-dot tie, with a stethoscope draped around his neck. He stands in a covered outdoor walkway, with a blurred background of greenery and buildings, suggesting a medical or humanitarian setting. His friendly expression conveys warmth and approachability.

Paul Farmer

Historical

Historical

Oct 26, 1959

-

Feb 21, 2022

Color portrait of a smiling man wearing glasses, a checkered shirt, and a black polka-dot tie, with a stethoscope draped around his neck. He stands in a covered outdoor walkway, with a blurred background of greenery and buildings, suggesting a medical or humanitarian setting. His friendly expression conveys warmth and approachability.

Paul Farmer

Historical

Historical

Oct 26, 1959

-

Feb 21, 2022

Biography

FAQ

Quotes

Biography

As an American physician and medical anthropologist, Paul Farmer co-founded Partners In Health (PIH). This organization focuses on delivering health care to impoverished populations around the globe. Born in North Adams, Massachusetts, and brought up in a unique family situation that featured life on a bus and a houseboat, Farmer formed an early connection with those who were underprivileged. His family’s limited financial situation uncovered social inequities, influencing his future global health commitment. His odyssey to become one of the most admired public health professionals in the world started at Duke University, where he earned a degree in medical anthropology summa cum laude in 1982.

Following Duke, Farmer started volunteering in Haiti, where he found the critical shortage of healthcare facilities in the Central Plateau. This experience strengthened his determination to become a doctor, causing him to attend Harvard Medical School, where he received both an MD and a PhD in medical anthropology by 1990. While finishing his medical training, Farmer regularly returned to Haiti, where he and others started Zanmi Lasante (Creole for Partners in Health) in 1987, aiming to provide health care to the most impoverished communities. This clinic demonstrated a model for global health care by proving that excellent care was achievable in economically disadvantaged areas. In the following three decades, Partners In Health increased its operations to serve more than ten countries, which include Rwanda, Peru, and Sierra Leone.

A belief in the fundamental nature of a human right to access healthcare motivated Farmer’s work. He led the way in community treatments for infectious diseases, particularly multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) and HIV/AIDS, providing essential care to patients who would likely go without care. His method, called “accompaniment,” included treating illnesses and dealing with the social determinants of health, such as poverty and inadequate infrastructure. Farmer championed the combination of social justice and medicine, claiming that medical care should prioritize the needs of those who are poor. His studies led to the creation of pioneering healthcare models, especially in regions classified as developing.

Farmer has had several academic roles throughout his career, including University Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. The impact of Farmer went further than the classroom; his many publications on health, human rights, and inequality, including books like Pathologies of Power and Infections and Inequalities, have changed today’s understanding of global health. He received various recognitions, including the MacArthur “Genius” Grant, the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, and, after his death, the WHO Director-General’s Global Health Leaders Award in 2022.

Farmer died in his sleep in 2022 while working in Rwanda, where he played a significant role in developing the University of Global Health Equity. His death marked the end of a notable life dedicated to diminishing health disparities and supporting the most vulnerable.

Quotes

“The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.”

“We’re all human beings; we come from the same planet and we’re bound by these global inequities.”

“Medicine should not be practiced in a way that ignores the social conditions that make people sick in the first place.”

“I’ve always been passionate about health care as a human right, and that’s where my heart is.”

“For me, an area of moral clarity is this: when you’re taking care of patients, you can’t let rich or poor or whether they’re going to live or die make a difference.”

“It is very expensive to give bad medical care to poor people in a rich country.”

“If access to health care is considered a human right, who is considered human enough to have that right?”

“The goal should not be to fix problems, but to repair systems so that they don’t create so many problems.”

“History is shaped by the people who see injustice and try to do something about it.”

“We’re all human, and there’s no system or policy that should make us forget that.”

“Accompaniment is about sticking with a task until it’s deemed completed, not by the accompanier but by the person being accompanied.”

“The way to treat the patient is to treat the social world they live in.”

“When we give up on any segment of humanity, we give up on ourselves.”

“The truth is, you can’t cure an epidemic without addressing the root causes of disease, and poverty is the worst disease of all.”

“Good health care should be available to all, not just those who can afford it.”

FAQ

What was the critical contribution of Paul Farmer to global health?

Farmer demonstrated that combining social justice with medical care successfully delivers high-quality healthcare in impoverished settings via community strategies.

What makes up Partners In Health (PIH)?

Founded in 1987 by Farmer and his colleagues, PIH is a non-profit that delivers healthcare to poor communities in more than ten countries, concentrating on fair access to care.

What did Paul Farmer believe about healthcare?

Farmer believed that healthcare is a fundamental human right and that addressing social inequality must be part of medical treatment to achieve accurate health equity.

What diseases was Paul Farmer concerned with?

Farmer is working on infectious diseases, especially multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, by creating strategies that engage communities to tackle these illnesses in impoverished communities.

In what way did Farmer’s work affect global health policy?

His work showed that offering quality healthcare in economically impoverished regions was achievable, influencing global health policies to prioritize the needs of the disadvantaged.

What relationship does Paul Farmer have with Haiti?

He merged clinical work with advocacy, treating the social determinants of health, including poverty and infrastructure, as essential components of the treatment process.

In what ways did Farmer deal with healthcare inequities?

He merged clinical work with advocacy, treating the social determinants of health, including poverty and infrastructure, as essential components of the treatment process.

What was the function of Paul Farmer at Harvard?

As a Professor at Harvard Medical School, Farmer was the chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine.

What kind of awards did Paul Farmer get?

Among his many achievements, Farmer received the MacArthur Fellowship, the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences, and the WHO Global Health Leaders Award after his death.

How did Paul Farmer die?

Farmer passed away in his sleep from a sudden cardiac event while working in Rwanda in 2022.

Biography

FAQ

Quotes

Biography

As an American physician and medical anthropologist, Paul Farmer co-founded Partners In Health (PIH). This organization focuses on delivering health care to impoverished populations around the globe. Born in North Adams, Massachusetts, and brought up in a unique family situation that featured life on a bus and a houseboat, Farmer formed an early connection with those who were underprivileged. His family’s limited financial situation uncovered social inequities, influencing his future global health commitment. His odyssey to become one of the most admired public health professionals in the world started at Duke University, where he earned a degree in medical anthropology summa cum laude in 1982.

Following Duke, Farmer started volunteering in Haiti, where he found the critical shortage of healthcare facilities in the Central Plateau. This experience strengthened his determination to become a doctor, causing him to attend Harvard Medical School, where he received both an MD and a PhD in medical anthropology by 1990. While finishing his medical training, Farmer regularly returned to Haiti, where he and others started Zanmi Lasante (Creole for Partners in Health) in 1987, aiming to provide health care to the most impoverished communities. This clinic demonstrated a model for global health care by proving that excellent care was achievable in economically disadvantaged areas. In the following three decades, Partners In Health increased its operations to serve more than ten countries, which include Rwanda, Peru, and Sierra Leone.

A belief in the fundamental nature of a human right to access healthcare motivated Farmer’s work. He led the way in community treatments for infectious diseases, particularly multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) and HIV/AIDS, providing essential care to patients who would likely go without care. His method, called “accompaniment,” included treating illnesses and dealing with the social determinants of health, such as poverty and inadequate infrastructure. Farmer championed the combination of social justice and medicine, claiming that medical care should prioritize the needs of those who are poor. His studies led to the creation of pioneering healthcare models, especially in regions classified as developing.

Farmer has had several academic roles throughout his career, including University Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. The impact of Farmer went further than the classroom; his many publications on health, human rights, and inequality, including books like Pathologies of Power and Infections and Inequalities, have changed today’s understanding of global health. He received various recognitions, including the MacArthur “Genius” Grant, the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, and, after his death, the WHO Director-General’s Global Health Leaders Award in 2022.

Farmer died in his sleep in 2022 while working in Rwanda, where he played a significant role in developing the University of Global Health Equity. His death marked the end of a notable life dedicated to diminishing health disparities and supporting the most vulnerable.

Quotes

“The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.”

“We’re all human beings; we come from the same planet and we’re bound by these global inequities.”

“Medicine should not be practiced in a way that ignores the social conditions that make people sick in the first place.”

“I’ve always been passionate about health care as a human right, and that’s where my heart is.”

“For me, an area of moral clarity is this: when you’re taking care of patients, you can’t let rich or poor or whether they’re going to live or die make a difference.”

“It is very expensive to give bad medical care to poor people in a rich country.”

“If access to health care is considered a human right, who is considered human enough to have that right?”

“The goal should not be to fix problems, but to repair systems so that they don’t create so many problems.”

“History is shaped by the people who see injustice and try to do something about it.”

“We’re all human, and there’s no system or policy that should make us forget that.”

“Accompaniment is about sticking with a task until it’s deemed completed, not by the accompanier but by the person being accompanied.”

“The way to treat the patient is to treat the social world they live in.”

“When we give up on any segment of humanity, we give up on ourselves.”

“The truth is, you can’t cure an epidemic without addressing the root causes of disease, and poverty is the worst disease of all.”

“Good health care should be available to all, not just those who can afford it.”

FAQ

What was the critical contribution of Paul Farmer to global health?

Farmer demonstrated that combining social justice with medical care successfully delivers high-quality healthcare in impoverished settings via community strategies.

What makes up Partners In Health (PIH)?

Founded in 1987 by Farmer and his colleagues, PIH is a non-profit that delivers healthcare to poor communities in more than ten countries, concentrating on fair access to care.

What did Paul Farmer believe about healthcare?

Farmer believed that healthcare is a fundamental human right and that addressing social inequality must be part of medical treatment to achieve accurate health equity.

What diseases was Paul Farmer concerned with?

Farmer is working on infectious diseases, especially multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, by creating strategies that engage communities to tackle these illnesses in impoverished communities.

In what way did Farmer’s work affect global health policy?

His work showed that offering quality healthcare in economically impoverished regions was achievable, influencing global health policies to prioritize the needs of the disadvantaged.

What relationship does Paul Farmer have with Haiti?

He merged clinical work with advocacy, treating the social determinants of health, including poverty and infrastructure, as essential components of the treatment process.

In what ways did Farmer deal with healthcare inequities?

He merged clinical work with advocacy, treating the social determinants of health, including poverty and infrastructure, as essential components of the treatment process.

What was the function of Paul Farmer at Harvard?

As a Professor at Harvard Medical School, Farmer was the chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine.

What kind of awards did Paul Farmer get?

Among his many achievements, Farmer received the MacArthur Fellowship, the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences, and the WHO Global Health Leaders Award after his death.

How did Paul Farmer die?

Farmer passed away in his sleep from a sudden cardiac event while working in Rwanda in 2022.

Biography

FAQ

Quotes

Biography

As an American physician and medical anthropologist, Paul Farmer co-founded Partners In Health (PIH). This organization focuses on delivering health care to impoverished populations around the globe. Born in North Adams, Massachusetts, and brought up in a unique family situation that featured life on a bus and a houseboat, Farmer formed an early connection with those who were underprivileged. His family’s limited financial situation uncovered social inequities, influencing his future global health commitment. His odyssey to become one of the most admired public health professionals in the world started at Duke University, where he earned a degree in medical anthropology summa cum laude in 1982.

Following Duke, Farmer started volunteering in Haiti, where he found the critical shortage of healthcare facilities in the Central Plateau. This experience strengthened his determination to become a doctor, causing him to attend Harvard Medical School, where he received both an MD and a PhD in medical anthropology by 1990. While finishing his medical training, Farmer regularly returned to Haiti, where he and others started Zanmi Lasante (Creole for Partners in Health) in 1987, aiming to provide health care to the most impoverished communities. This clinic demonstrated a model for global health care by proving that excellent care was achievable in economically disadvantaged areas. In the following three decades, Partners In Health increased its operations to serve more than ten countries, which include Rwanda, Peru, and Sierra Leone.

A belief in the fundamental nature of a human right to access healthcare motivated Farmer’s work. He led the way in community treatments for infectious diseases, particularly multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) and HIV/AIDS, providing essential care to patients who would likely go without care. His method, called “accompaniment,” included treating illnesses and dealing with the social determinants of health, such as poverty and inadequate infrastructure. Farmer championed the combination of social justice and medicine, claiming that medical care should prioritize the needs of those who are poor. His studies led to the creation of pioneering healthcare models, especially in regions classified as developing.

Farmer has had several academic roles throughout his career, including University Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. The impact of Farmer went further than the classroom; his many publications on health, human rights, and inequality, including books like Pathologies of Power and Infections and Inequalities, have changed today’s understanding of global health. He received various recognitions, including the MacArthur “Genius” Grant, the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, and, after his death, the WHO Director-General’s Global Health Leaders Award in 2022.

Farmer died in his sleep in 2022 while working in Rwanda, where he played a significant role in developing the University of Global Health Equity. His death marked the end of a notable life dedicated to diminishing health disparities and supporting the most vulnerable.

Quotes

“The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.”

“We’re all human beings; we come from the same planet and we’re bound by these global inequities.”

“Medicine should not be practiced in a way that ignores the social conditions that make people sick in the first place.”

“I’ve always been passionate about health care as a human right, and that’s where my heart is.”

“For me, an area of moral clarity is this: when you’re taking care of patients, you can’t let rich or poor or whether they’re going to live or die make a difference.”

“It is very expensive to give bad medical care to poor people in a rich country.”

“If access to health care is considered a human right, who is considered human enough to have that right?”

“The goal should not be to fix problems, but to repair systems so that they don’t create so many problems.”

“History is shaped by the people who see injustice and try to do something about it.”

“We’re all human, and there’s no system or policy that should make us forget that.”

“Accompaniment is about sticking with a task until it’s deemed completed, not by the accompanier but by the person being accompanied.”

“The way to treat the patient is to treat the social world they live in.”

“When we give up on any segment of humanity, we give up on ourselves.”

“The truth is, you can’t cure an epidemic without addressing the root causes of disease, and poverty is the worst disease of all.”

“Good health care should be available to all, not just those who can afford it.”

FAQ

What was the critical contribution of Paul Farmer to global health?

Farmer demonstrated that combining social justice with medical care successfully delivers high-quality healthcare in impoverished settings via community strategies.

What makes up Partners In Health (PIH)?

Founded in 1987 by Farmer and his colleagues, PIH is a non-profit that delivers healthcare to poor communities in more than ten countries, concentrating on fair access to care.

What did Paul Farmer believe about healthcare?

Farmer believed that healthcare is a fundamental human right and that addressing social inequality must be part of medical treatment to achieve accurate health equity.

What diseases was Paul Farmer concerned with?

Farmer is working on infectious diseases, especially multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, by creating strategies that engage communities to tackle these illnesses in impoverished communities.

In what way did Farmer’s work affect global health policy?

His work showed that offering quality healthcare in economically impoverished regions was achievable, influencing global health policies to prioritize the needs of the disadvantaged.

What relationship does Paul Farmer have with Haiti?

He merged clinical work with advocacy, treating the social determinants of health, including poverty and infrastructure, as essential components of the treatment process.

In what ways did Farmer deal with healthcare inequities?

He merged clinical work with advocacy, treating the social determinants of health, including poverty and infrastructure, as essential components of the treatment process.

What was the function of Paul Farmer at Harvard?

As a Professor at Harvard Medical School, Farmer was the chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine.

What kind of awards did Paul Farmer get?

Among his many achievements, Farmer received the MacArthur Fellowship, the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences, and the WHO Global Health Leaders Award after his death.

How did Paul Farmer die?

Farmer passed away in his sleep from a sudden cardiac event while working in Rwanda in 2022.

Life and achievements

Early life

Paul Farmer was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, in 1959 and raised in Florida, where his family struggled financially but placed a premium on education. His father, who calls himself a free spirit, moved the family into nontraditional dwellings, including an old school bus and a houseboat. These experiences in economically challenging situations made Farmer aware of social injustices from an early age. Working alongside migrant Haitian laborers in Florida, his family introduced him to the realities of poverty, fueling a lifelong attraction to Haiti and its people. At Duke University, Farmer studied medical anthropology, a direction that would influence his life’s pursuit of global health. He invested time in Haiti while an undergraduate and started to create healthcare strategies for underserved populations.

After Duke’s graduation, Farmer participated in volunteer work in Haiti, where he saw that the lack of medical resources and deep poverty inspired him to concentrate on bringing modern healthcare to impoverished regions. His passion grew when he registered at Harvard Medical School to work towards an MD and a PhD in medical anthropology. Between his studies and visits to Haiti, Farmer co-founded Zanmi Lasante in 1987 to deliver free health care to some of the nation’s poorest communities.

Legacy

Paul Farmer’s contributions to global health are both profound and extensive. His conviction that “health care is a human right” drove his career and motivated others to rethink the ties among health, poverty, and social justice. He was an unwavering champion for the treatment of infectious diseases in poor communities, with a concentration on multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, through a model that integrated local communities into the delivery of care. His strategy changed healthcare service delivery in some of the poorest parts of the world, showing that superior care is not only achievable but necessary, regardless of geography or income status.

Millions of lives have changed thanks to Farmer’s work with Partners In Health (PIH). His skill in uniting practical clinical work with a broader political and social awareness of healthcare inequity made him a significant contributor to the reform of global health policy. He thought it was essential to treat patients holistically, focusing on their medical needs alongside the socioeconomic factors that influence their health difficulties. The model of ‘accompaniment’ introduced by Farmer has redefined global healthcare strategies by moving past simple aid to develop sustainable healthcare infrastructure solutions.

Along with his clinical and organizational responsibilities, Farmer was a productive author, penning many books that examined the relationships between health, human rights, and inequality. Students and professionals in global health and public policy should consider his writings, especially Pathologies of Power and Infections and Inequalities, essential reading. His commitment to health equity and intellectual output ensured that he had an enduring effect on biotic health and social justice causes.

Farmer was pivotal in developing health systems across Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Malawi, countries where PIH is still at work. He was instrumental in creating the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, an institution that trains the next wave of global health leaders. The teaching at Harvard and his mentorship of many medical professionals allowed Farmer’s influence to reach multiple generations.

The passing of Paul Farmer in 2022 drew widespread grief, but his impact continues to uplift healthcare providers, activists, and policymakers worldwide. His focus on the underserved and his creative approach to global health have set a bar for those who will follow, ensuring that his view of health care as a human right will continue to direct efforts to confront inequality and injustice in health care.

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Your donation today shapes the future of how families and friends connect.
You will become a featured Ambassador.
Learn more ->

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Your donation today shapes the future of how families and friends connect.
You will become a featured Ambassador.
Learn more ->

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Milestone moments

Oct 26, 1959

Birth of Paul Farmer
Paul Edward Farmer entered the world on October 26, 1959, in North Adams, Massachusetts.

The unconventional life of his family, characterized by moving among Florida, Alabama, and other places, offered him early insight into the lives of people on society’s fringes.

Living in a bus and then later in a houseboat, the Farmer family chose an unusual, frequently strained lifestyle, which ingrained in Paul a profound understanding of the difficulties faced by people experiencing poverty.

The family of Farmer strongly supported education, pushing him to aim for academic greatness despite their financial difficulties.

Farmer’s experience with Haitian migrant workers in Florida formed the basis for his enduring commitment to Haiti and global health.

What he saw in these communities regarding poverty shocked him and inspired him to focus on his future work.

This atmosphere encouraged his curiosity and drive, preparing him for a path in both medicine and advocacy, where he would take on global health inequities.

Oct 13, 1987

The creation of Partners In Health (PIH)
In 1987, Paul Farmer founded Partners In Health (PIH) with colleagues Jim Yong Kim, Ophelia Dahl, and Thomas White.

Established in Cange, Haiti, PIH started as a project to furnish free health care to the poor communities of the Central Plateau.

Zanmi Lasante transformed into a pioneering example of healthcare delivery in settings with limited resources.

Not only did it manage infectious diseases, but it also took on the fundamental causes of health problems, including malnutrition and the shortage of clean water.

Farmer’s work in Haiti showed superior healthcare could be delivered even in the poorest regions.

PIH’s achievements in managing diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS through community-centered strategies indicated that global health inequalities could be adequately resolved with the right resources and a strong commitment.

After introducing this method, countries such as Peru, Rwanda, and Lesotho quickly followed suit, increasing PIH’s scope and effectiveness worldwide.

Jul 25, 1999

Tuberculosis Work in Partnership with the World Health Organization
In 1999, the World Health Organization (WHO) partnered with Paul Farmer and Jim Yong Kim to address the worldwide multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) crisis.

Having successfully treated TB in Haiti, Farmer wanted to extend that success internationally.

The collaboration produced treatment approaches that merged superior clinical care with community outreach, thus allowing people in poorer countries to obtain life-saving medications.

With support from a $44.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PIH broadened its TB programs in Peru, Russia, and other places, where the healing rates for MDR TB markedly improved.

This study established Farmer’s position as a global health leader, demonstrating that diseases considered excessively costly or complex to manage in low-resource environments could respond well to the right strategies.

Jul 18, 2003

Presentation of Mountains Beyond Mountains
In 2003, biographer Tracy Kidder, who won the Pulitzer Prize, released Mountains Beyond Mountains, a biography about Paul Farmer that made his work known worldwide.

The book documented Farmer’s evolution from his youth to his role with PIH in Haiti, Peru, and Russia, focusing on his persistent effort for health equity.

The document detailed Farmer’s work to combat diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, all the while addressing the structural injustices that amplified these crises.

Thanks to Farmer’s work, the triumph of Mountains Beyond Mountains raised awareness of global health inequities and inspired a new cohort of health professionals and activists.

It featured his technique for addressing diseases and the essential causes of illness, including poverty, inequality, and systemic neglect.

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