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How the Boston medical community is remembering Dr. Paul Farmer
The renowned doctor and humanitarian co-founded the nonprofit Partners in Health and served as chief of the division of global health equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
The medical community in Boston and around the globe is mourning the death of Dr. Paul Farmer, a physician and humanitarian known for his efforts to provide health care to millions of people living in poverty around the world.
Farmer, who co-founded the Boston-based global health nonprofit Partners in Health, died unexpectedly in his sleep on Monday in Rwanda where he was teaching. He was 62.
Farmer, who was also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of global health equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is being recalled by colleagues and students for his impact on the world and for being a beloved mentor and teacher who inspired many to push for better in the field of global health.
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“I can’t begin to count the ways in which knowing Dr. Paul Farmer changed my life,” Dr. Louise Ivers, executive director of Massachusetts General Hospital Global Health and interim head of MGH’s Division of Infectious Diseases, wrote on Twitter. “He was an inspiration, a transformative thinker, a friend, a health justice North Star, and a complex boss. He pushed us all to do better. He had not finished teaching. I will miss you Paul.”
Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, called Farmer’s death “beyond devastating.”
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“Paul was a hero, a mentor and a friend,” he wrote. “He taught us what global health should be and inspired all of us to do better. His brilliance was only outshined by his compassion and kindness. I’m at a loss.”
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and former infectious diseases chief at Mass. General, called Farmer an “unparalleled visionary for global public health.”
“Countless people are alive because of his investment in public health infrastructure, in direct care delivery, and in selflessly training others to do the same,” she said.
There has also been an outpouring of remembrances and grief for Farmer among celebrities and politicians, recognizing the doctor for his dedication to addressing global health inequities.
Below, see how some members of the medical community are remembering the 62-year-old.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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