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

Court Blocks International Student Visa Rule

Citing improper procedure, a district judge postponed the government’s efforts to cap student visas at four years.

The Arctic Is Changing. What Does It Mean for Geopolitics?

Harvard’s Arctic Initiative brings together researchers from across disciplines to understand rapid warming.

Harvard Law School Announces a New National Security Initiative

The program will focus on the U.S. Congress and the separation of powers in its first year.

Most popular

How Philosophy at Harvard Saved Itself

As humanities shrink across higher education, one department is flourishing. Is its success a fluke, or a roadmap?

Keri Russell Calls ‘The Diplomat’ a Love Letter to Public Servants

A Harvard Kennedy School event looks behind the scenes of the Netflix drama. 

Harvard Law School Announces $31.4 Million Donation

The school’s largest-ever gift comes after a year of record fundraising.

Explore More From Current Issue

Panoramic view of Harvard University with autumn foliage and a river under a cloudy sky.

The University is expanding industry ties and investing its own funds to support research, but neither will replace lost federal dollars.

Bronze statue of a seated figure holding a book, with a campus setting in the background.

As humanities shrink across higher education, one department is flourishing. Is its success a fluke, or a roadmap?

Black and white portrait of a woman with medium-length hair, smiling softly.

The outgoing executive director and Harvard Business School graduate went from dancing The Nutcracker to growing a ballet company.