Dr. Paul Farmer

This week, we’re celebrating the life of Dr. Paul Farmer, a physician and anthropologist who dedicated his life to caring for the world’s poorest people.  Farmer believed that addressing the social roots of illness was as important as treating its symptoms; so, in addition to direct care, he undertook advocacy work that significantly influenced public health approaches to diseases like tuberculosis, HIV, and Ebola. On May 23, 2013, Farmer spoke to Adam Hochschild about his nonprofit, Partners in Health; the aftermath of the 2010 Haitian earthquake; and how his Catholic upbringing informed his work.  Paul Farmer died on February 21, 2022, at the age of 62, while working in Rwanda.