Tag: Paul Farmer | Wanderings

Partners In Health - Making a Difference - Paul Farmer

60 Minutes to watch... and a lifetime to act: Watched this piece on 60 Minutes and was so impressed with Paul Farmer and the organization he co-founded Partners in Health (PIH). The stories literally moved me to tears--I sent a donation right after the segment.

Farmer is a smart determined guy who is making health care available in some really troubled parts of the world like Haiti and Rowanda. His approach is collaborative--he doesn't want these places to be totally dependent on foreign workers, so he's training natives to take care of their own people. He's also being smart about getting drugs to people in need at lower costs by negotiating with manufacturers to produce lower cost generics. He's treating people with AIDS in these countries, drug resistant TB. As he put it, the health care PIH can provide is better than some regions receive in the U.S. Indeed, some U.S. health agencies are using PIH as a model for inexpensive health care delivery. Tremendous impact. The dedication he has is obvious. These are our heroes. These people must be the examples our children follow and admire.