Reflections on Paul Farmer’s Contributions from Two Generations of Medical Anthropologists

Paul Farmer is a physician and anthropologist who championed social justice and the right to health for all human beings. His work with colleagues at Partners in Health set the stage for community-participatory health care involving local providers and stakeholders. He has been described as an iconic figure in global public health and a true humanitarian due to his tireless efforts to reduce health inequities throughout the world. His leadership in responding to pressing health concerns such as the HIV-AIDS crisis in Haiti and elsewhere, multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis, Ebola, and more recently, COVID-19, has been lauded by everyone ranging from world leaders to the mothers and fathers of children affected by these dreadful diseases. Farmer also inspired a great many anthropologists to consider social justice as the best way forward to eliminate health inequities. Here, Himmelgreen et al reflect on how Farmer's contributions have shaped their own research (representing two generations of scholars), praxis, and the training of students.