The University of Virginia Global Affairs joins the world in mourning the untimely death of Dr. Paul Farmer, who died on Monday while working at the University of Global Health Equity in Butaro, Rwanda, an institution he helped to begin and to which he devoted so much of his life.  He was 62.

Dr. Farmer and the work of Partners in Health, an organization he co-founded, inspired countless UVA students and faculty over the years to commit their lives to working for equitable access to health care, improving and saving the lives of so many around the world.  Over the last few decades, Partners in Health has transformed the approach to global pandemics such as HIV, TB and Ebola as well as creating infrastructure to support primary health care.

“There is no greater example of the power of an individual to change the world for better than Dr. Paul Farmer,” said Ambassador Steve Mull, Vice Provost for Global Affairs adding that his extraordinary vision and tireless energy in support of health care for all saved many lives.  “His legacy will endure for generations to come, and we here at UVA will do our best to live up to his example in our own work in support of global health equity.”

Dr. Farmer visited Grounds multiple times over the years and was a dear friend and supporter of UVA’s Center for Global Health Equity.

In November 2020, he joined the Center’s 20th anniversary celebration and paid tribute to the Center’s work, noting, “UVA has been at the epicenter of so many developments in global health.”

He will be deeply missed by his friends and colleagues at UVA. And the University will honor Dr. Farmer’s memory by rededicating to the work of building a healthier and a just world for all.

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