Partners In Health announced that its founder, Dr. Paul Farmer, unexpectedly passed away today in his sleep while in Rwanda.
Dr. Farmer was 62 years old. He is survived by his wife, Didi Bertrand Farmer, and their three children.
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Partners In Health
@PIH
A social justice & global health organization striving to make health care a human right for all people, starting with those who need it most #InjusticeHasACure
Partners In Health’s Tweets
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Partners In Health CEO Dr. Sheila Davis released the following statement:
“Paul Farmer’s loss is devastating, but his vision for the world will live on through Partners in Health.
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Paul taught all those around him the power of accompaniment, love for one another, and solidarity. Our deepest sympathies are with his wife Didi and three children.”
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Ksakrad Kelly, PsyD - PIH Cross-Site Mental Health Psychotherapy Technical Advisor
Mary Yang, MD - PIH Liberia Psychiatrist Consultant
pih.org/mentalhealthac
Today is #MentalHealthAction Day! Drs. Ksakrad Kelly and Mary Yang of PIH's #MentalHealth team, along with and , will be discussing the impacts of racial trauma on mental health. Register at pih.org/mentalhealthac to join this important conversation.
In the 30 years we've been working alongside the Haitian people, we've seen firsthand the extraordinary resilience that our patients and staff have shown in the face of unimaginable hardship. We're proud to support them.
This ruling will have a chilling effect and may very well affect care-seeking for obstetric emergencies and, in turn, maternal mortality. The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate in the industrialized world, especially among women of color. 1/2
PIH is cautiously optimistic after hearing today that Johnson & Johnson plans to work with the Global Drug Facility. However, we will not be ready to celebrate until takes further steps to ensure access to TB drugs.
Read our full statement:
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If you'd like to help build a stronger health system in Haiti, in collaboration and solidarity with the Haitian people, here's a way to give: bit.ly/2CTKIFo
Partners In Health is proud to announce the establishment of the Paul E. Farmer Scholarship Fund! With generous & catalytic commitments from the , CRI Foundation, and other donors, this scholarship will dedicate $200M to students attending in Rwanda.
This year make #MothersDay even more meaningful by helping us save moms around the world: bit.ly/1FCqL3E
Barely containing your rage like over intention to put profits over the lives of people facing drug resistant tuberculosis (TB)?
You're not alone.
🚨 Join us in calling for justice for people with TB worldwide ⬇️
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An open letter to @JNJNews. Stop pursuing the secondary patent of bedaquiline. YOU KNOW that millions of people will be unable to access lifesaving treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis if you extend the patent. YOU KNOW it violates your credo. youtube.com/watch?v=tMhgw5
Huge news today from : with , we're expanding the MCOE & investing in Kayima Community Health Center, the clinic serving Kono's largest chiefdom! Special thanks to John, and everyone for making this possible!
Learn more:
Thank you for joining us to honor the life of Dr. Paul Farmer.🕊️
Together, we remembered our friend Paul & the far-reaching impact he has had on us all. He was a physician, teacher, & activist who, in his various roles, was steadfast in his commitment to justice & dignity.
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We've been in touch with our colleagues in #Nepal since this morning's powerful #earthquake... (1/3)
...please keep them and all who are affected in your thoughts and prayers. (2/3)
We're monitoring emergency response efforts to determine how best to support those on the front lines. (3/3) #NepalEarthquake
Today we stand in solidarity with our colleagues in Rwanda as we remember the genocide, and vow to continue working toward a better future.
Claudine is an amputee, cancer survivor, & college grad. Her goal? To open a prosthetic clinic back home in Rwanda: bit.ly/2w9qFmX
The U.S.'s top #COVID19 doctor is right: scarcity won't suffice. We CAN produce enough vaccines and COVID treatments for everyone globally, and the U.S. has the power to make it happen. #PeoplesVaccine
BREAKING NEWS: announces #COVID19 Community Tracing Collaborative with , , and . PIH will hire, train, virtually deploy, and coordinate a group of community tracing & support personnel in Massachusetts.
BREAKING NEWS: University Hospital in Mirebalais, Haiti, received accreditation through -I, affirming the hospital’s medical education & residency programs meet the highest global standards, equal to that of top-notch U.S. teaching hospitals. More: bit.ly/2TyxnO1
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Native Americans face some of the U.S.'s worst health outcomes. But the community health representatives providing care are fighting to get the funding they need. Tell Congress to do better for Native American families: bit.ly/2Pw4YDt
In Malawi, we're training nurses and midwives to ensure that pregnant women can deliver safely:
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And for more information on the work we've done together in Haiti, from malnutrition to cancer care, click here:
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Eliminating access to abortion is egregious and dehumanizing to the over 160 million women and pregnancy-capable people who live in this country. 2/2
#RoeVsWade
Please join us online to honor the life of Dr. Paul Farmer: a physician, teacher, and activist whose commitment to justice & dignity shaped our lives and saved millions more.
The memorial service will be Saturday, March 12, at 10am-12pm ET.
Learn more: pih.org/dr-paul-farmer
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We’ve responded to COVID-19 by distributing $5 million to @PIH @DirectRelief @FeedingAmerica @rescueorg @WHO & #Barbados to prepare communities w/ critical protective gear, medical supplies, equipment and access to food across multiple regions. #CLF #HealthcareHeroes
: @PIH
Dr. Paul Farmer wears a mask to help #StopCOVID!
Until we have vaccines & medicines, mask wearing is one of the best tools we have to stop the spread of COVID-19. #WearAMask and upload a photo to social media, then ask your friends to do the same 😷 🤳 #WorldMaskWeek
Thank you community and founders for your support!.
Partners In Health is hosting a memorial service in honor of Dr. Paul Farmer, our co-founder and chief strategist, on Saturday, March 12 at 10 a.m. ET. Please join us in celebrating Paul’s life and enduring legacy. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1
The Trump administration is moving to rescind $252,000,000 from the budget for International Disaster Assistance. We can't let that happen. Sign on: bit.ly/2IHcp73
This child's mother, who was treated for celebral malaria while pregnant, was one of Dr. Paul Farmer's first patients in Haiti in the 1980s. Today, he's grown up to be a doctor with PIH in Haiti. He got married a few weeks ago, and Dr. Farmer gave a toast at the wedding.
The Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence in Rwanda sees nearly 2,000 patients a year, providing cancer care where it once didn't exist. This month, the hospital opened its new Cancer Support Center, where people in extended stays for treatment will receive counseling and support.
All women should have access to health care, no matter where they live. Take this quiz and earn 50 cents for : bit.ly/2lEHTi5
“Somebody needs to say to people who are worried and not feeling well, ‘We got you,’” says PIH Co-Founder Dr. Paul Farmer in . “‘If this is Covid-19, we got you. And we’ll look out for your contacts, your spouse and your children.’" #COVID19MA
Evidence from around the world shows that criminalizing abortion never reduces abortions; it just weaponizes the health system against women and pregnancy-capable people. It impacts the most marginalized communities and results in unsafe abortions.
“We cannot afford delay between the development of new technologies and their widespread and equitable distribution...the #TRIPSWaiver is critical” - Dr. Paul Farmer, drawing on lessons from the AIDS crisis, calls on the U.S. to end vaccine apartheid. #COVID19 #PeoplesVaccine 🧵
In Sierra Leone, we're supporting an adult literacy program for Ebola survivors, because our work didn't stop after the outbreak ended. This back-to-school season, we're proud to support education initiatives for the people we serve around the world.
These healthy triplets were born March 17 at J.J. Dossen Hospital in Liberia. In one of the world's most dangerous places to give birth, the two boys, one girl, and mother all left the hospital healthy, and with clothes, diapers, food, and other social support.
PIH is thrilled to announce that will lead a line-up of stars including in a retelling of the classic James and the Giant Peach, benefitting PIH’s global work and response to #COVID19: youtube.com/roalddahl
“The interesting alchemy that Paul gave us is that activism is rooted in love for one another… If you lead with love… the anger turns into one that is more righteous… and is rooted in deep compassion.”
— speaking to for Project for Awesome #P4A2022
From Haiti to Malawi to the Navajo Nation, everyone deserves access to high-quality health care. If you believe health care is a human right, sign on: bit.ly/2EDeqUb #HealthForAll
“When your nation sets a goal to vaccinate 70% of the world from COVID-19, but still won’t make companies share the recipe” 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
#COVID19 will disproportionately affect the most vulnerable. Immediate action is needed to contain the pandemic & ensure that care is available for everyone. The fight to #StopCOVID will be long, but we have a plan to win. Share this post & join the fight: pih.org/StopCOVID
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As we say goodbye to Paul, we remember that his vision has not been lost; it continues on through each of us. Let us continue to make the vision he shared a global reality—a vision and brighter future where health care is a human right.
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Cell phones help community health workers do their jobs. Little things make big differences: j.mp/1lDcH2I
Today, Dr. Paul Farmer was scheduled to accept an award and speak publicly at the . After learning over the past few hours that Philip Morris International (PMI) has joined as a major event sponsor, Dr. Farmer has decided to withdraw his participation.
The tools that moms around the world need to give their babies a healthy start are simple -- prenatal check-ups, an attended birth, basic supplies. This Mother's Day, send lifesaving support to a mom in need, in your mom's honor. Donate now: bit.ly/2rzCe2H
REMINDER: We invite you to join the global health community for a virtual remembrance of PIH's co-founder, Dr. Paul Farmer, as we mark one year since his passing.
Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Time: 11:00 a.m. EST
Sign up for an email reminder: bit.ly/3jCpQNm
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis has been spreading inside Sierra Leone for years. Last fall, we discharged the first patients from the first MDR-TB treatment program in the country:
We can cure hepatitis C. The key? Fixing broken or nonexistent health systems. Drs. Paul Farmer & Neil Gupta:
We are pleased to announce that Bending the Arc is coming to Netflix on October 22! is a documentary about Paul Farmer, Jim Yong Kim, and Ophelia Dahl, whose charitable work 30 years ago ignited the global health movement that is now PIH. #BTAfilm bendingthearcfilm.com
"It’s not too late: we can still mobilize and start hunting down the virus. What’s needed is a decisive investment in a public-health initiative big enough to meet the challenge." – PIH Co-Founder Jim Yong Kim on fighting #COVID19 in the
newyorker.com/science/medica
Partners In Health stands firmly behind women’s autonomy as a core principle of health equity. As clinicians and public health professionals, we are enraged at the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. 1/3
Loved our Photo of the Week? Learn more about our partnership to improve the health of Navajo Nation residents: bit.ly/1vtgGwA
In the places we work, $100 is enough to provide a woman with a safe birth. Help a mom in need this Mother's Day: bit.ly/2rzCe2H
PIH condemns the decision by President Trump to withhold funding to the . We demand an immediate reversal of this decision as we know the failure to do so will directly result in the deaths of many people around the world. Our full statement: pih.org/press/pih-cond
We invite you to save the date to join the global Partners In Health team and Paul’s closest friends, family, and partners one year after his passing for a special virtual event.
More details to come soon.
Remembering Our Beloved Paul
📅 : February 21, 2023
🕚 : 11:00 a.m. EST
“Paul Farmer...makes the case that one man, one organization, can make a difference." -- on : cnn.it/2sweZIU
Your frequently asked questions about #coronavirus, answered by epidemiologist and infectious disease expert Dr. Megan Murray, PIH's director of research (thread).
Learn more about each answer: pih.org/article/harvar
Dr. Paul Farmer asked us to share this message of solidarity with the people of Haiti:
(🧵) Partners In Health is excited to announce the establishment of the Paul Farmer Collaborative of the and .
Learn more: bit.ly/3k77B2z
The Navajo Nation is the size of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont combined, but has just 13 grocery stores. How we're working to make fresh produce more accessible in a food desert:
Dr. Paul Farmer, PIH co-founder and Chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, engaged in a peaceful protest for racial justice alongside medical residents, faculty, and employees from Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Bending the Arc is now streaming on Netflix! is a documentary that follows a group of ambitious advocates whose mission to save lives in Haiti turns into what Partners In Health is today—a global fight for health care and justice. Watch #BTAfilm: netflix.com/watch/80170312
Worldwide universal health care is within reach. writes on how we're working toward it:
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As they say in Haiti, “tout moun se moun” — "every person is a person." We're proud to stand beside the people of Haiti, today and always.
Everywhere we go, we meet women who are keeping their family and communities healthy every day. Their stories:
BREAKING NEWS: PIH announces the U.S. Public Health Accompaniment Unit, extending our #COVID19 support across the U.S. We will engage government agencies, local jurisdictions, and their partners with technical advisory services and a Learning Collaborative
This morning a magnitude 7.2 earthquake stuck the western part of Haiti. Reports are still coming out and PIH is in touch with our colleagues and monitoring the situation. Read a statement from co-founder Paul Farmer: bit.ly/3yP4miD
Join for a tribute to Dr. Paul Farmer 🕊️ 🧡 We will look back at the legacy Dr. Paul Farmer left behind and honor the mission he encouraged us to continue.
Tune in:
📆 Monday, 02/28
⏰ 06:30pm EST
📺 Live streamed via Socios En Salud's Facebook & Youtube channel
"Paul’s basic belief was that all human beings deserve equal respect and care, especially when they are sick." —Tracy Kidder, Author of 'Mountains Beyond Mountains'
Read Kidder's full tribute to Dr. Paul Farmer, published in the : nytimes.com/2022/02/22/opi
Cancer treatment is not a luxury—it's at the core of what should be provided. Treating childhood cancer in Rwanda: bit.ly/2xA93jx
The life and legacy of Dr. Paul Farmer was honored by PIH, alongside friends and family, in Boston on March 12. Though the weather was grey, the memorial for the late PIH co-founder was full of light and inspiration.
Watch the full recording:
Have a few minutes to spare? Play this game and earn up to $5.50 to provide health care for someone in need: bit.ly/2LCC0Q0
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Lives are on the line with proposed cuts to the foreign aid budget. Tell Congress to fight for lifesaving aid: bit.ly/2flHuUJ
We believe everyone should have access to cancer care, no matter where they live. Treating cancer in rural Rwanda:
Dr. Paul Farmer is doing a tomorrow! He'll be taking questions starting at 2 p.m., so ask him anything
The Berggruen Prize goes to another transformative thinker! This time to Dr. Paul Farmer, Co-Founder & Chief Strategist of PIH, for his work area of global public health equity and human rights. #IdeasMatter
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“The biggest regrets are always based in the failure to act quickly enough to prevent suffering. Waiting for enough money or time to act is a luxury afforded to those with the power and privilege, not for those in need"
PIH CEO in
Childbirth doesn’t stop during a crisis, and neither does maternal care. PIH is making sure our lifesaving maternal health programs continue while we fight COVID-19. For #MothersDay, learn how we're maintaining vital care for pregnant women and new moms:
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Thank you for your support! Here's a simple way to advocate for foreign aid funding: bit.ly/2mpMPwx
We're thrilled to announce that Dr. Sheila Davis, our Chief Nursing Officer and Chief of Clinical Operations, has been chosen to be the next CEO of Partners In Health. She will succeed Dr. Gary Gottlieb, who announced last year his plans to step down.
Today would have been Dr. Paul Farmer’s 63rd birthday. His death in February of this year shocked the world. In his honor, PIH is dedicating today to pay tribute to his lifetime of service and solidarity.
We encourage you to join us in #honoringPaulFarmer:pih.org/honor-paul
#DrPaulFarmer was greeted by a young patient during rounds today at University Hospital in Mirebalais, Haiti.
(🧵) Dr. Paul Farmer touched many, and his memory continues to inspire the patients he once worked with. Claudine Humure was among Farmer’s first patients in Rwanda during the early 2000s. With news of his passing, Humure reflected on Farmer’s immense influence.
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PIH applauds the decision of the US to support the waiver of IP protections on COVID-19 vaccines to help end the pandemic.
We call on the US to follow through on this commitment, and make sure we don’t delay negotiations on the waiver.
Learn more:
We are praying for the Haitian people and all those affected by the magnitude 5.9 earthquake centered in northern Haiti that struck Saturday night. We are anxiously gathering news from our colleagues on the ground and are in the midst of assessing the situation.


