From Haiti to Rwanda, Paul Farmer Moves Mountains

Paul E. Farmer, Presley professor of social medicine at Harvard Medical School, made the front page of the Boston Sunday Globe this week with his work in providing healthcare in rural Rwanda...

Paul E. Farmer, Presley professor of social medicine at Harvard Medical School, made the front page of the Boston Sunday Globe this week with his work in providing healthcare in rural Rwanda.

Farmer launched the nonprofit Partners in Health 20 years ago in Haiti; the organization has since expanded to eight other countries. Farmer and his wife, Didi Bertrand, have made Rwanda their home base; Farmer recently obtained citizenship there and joined the Rwandan Medical Society.

Two decades into his humanitarian work, Farmer seems to be charging full steam ahead. He tells the Globe: "I go to bed worrying about all the promises we've made, and I get up each morning thinking we haven't made enough promises."

That story is here; for more on Farmer's work, read an excerpt from Mountains Beyond Mountains, a book by journalist Tracy Kidder ’67, from the Harvard Magazine archives.

You might also like

Harvard Plans Contingencies for International Students

The Kennedy School and School of Public Health are developing online options.

Trump Administration Expands Harvard Student Visa Vetting

State Department tells officials to screen social media, flag private accounts as suspicious.  

Most popular

Harvard’s Hiring Freeze Continues

University leaders say $1 billion per year is at risk due to federal actions

Harvard Layoffs Continue, with More to Come

In the wake of federal government actions, several Harvard schools and institutes are cutting costs.

Five Questions with Jacob Roberts ’19

The actor and filmmaker on creativity, collaboration, and celebrity canines

Explore More From Current Issue

Can an Orange a Day Stave off Depression?

A research study digs into the gut microbiome.

Will the U.S. Dollar Always Be So Powerful?

The preeminence of U.S. currency at risk

How AI Could Be Raising Your Energy Bill

Utilities shift AI infrastructure costs onto consumers.