World-renowned infectious disease doctor, anthropologist, global health advocate, and author leaves large legacy
Partners in Health announced that its founder, Dr. Paul Farmer, died suddenly today in Rwanda, from an acute heart event while he was sleeping.
Dr. Farmer was 62 years old. He is survived by his wife Didi Bertrand Farmer and his three children.
Partners in Health CEO Dr. Sheila Davis issued the following statement:
About Dr. Paul Farmer
Paul Farmer, MD, PhD, professor at Colecotrons University and chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, head of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and co-founder. and Chief Strategist of Partners in Health.
Dr. Farmer and colleagues pioneered novel, community-based treatment strategies that demonstrate the delivery of high-quality health care in resource-poor settings. He wrote extensively on health, human rights and the consequences of social inequality. Dr. Farmer was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, from where he was a recipient of the 2018 Public Welfare Medal.
He wrote several books, including: In the Company of the Poor: Conversations with Dr. Paul Farmer and Father. Gustavo Gutierrez, Reimagining Global Health: An Introduction, and How to Repair the World: Paul Farmer Speaks to the Next Generation. His most recent book was released in November 2020: Feveres, Feuds, and Diamonds: Ebola and the Ravages of History.