Paul Farmer

Medicine American 1959 – 2022 100 quotes

Co-founder of Partners In Health, focused on infectious diseases in poor countries, said 'The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.'

Quotes by Paul Farmer

We must never give up on the idea that we can make a difference.

Speech 2016

The poor are not a problem to be solved, but a resource to be tapped.

Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor 2009

To treat a disease, you must first understand its social context.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World 2003

The world is not flat. It's full of mountains, and we have to climb them.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World 2003

We have to be willing to do whatever it takes to save a life.

Speech 2017

The greatest privilege of my life has been to work with the poor.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World 2003

If you want to make a difference, you have to be willing to get your hands dirty.

Interview 2018

The only way to fight injustice is with justice.

Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor 2009

We must never forget that behind every statistic is a human being.

Speech 2019

The best medicine is love and compassion.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World 2003

To be a doctor is to be an advocate for the poor.

Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor 2009

The world is not divided into rich and poor, but into those who care and those who don't.

Interview 2020

We have to be willing to challenge the powerful.

Speech 2011

The greatest joy in life is to serve others.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World 2003

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

Interview 2015

The only way to achieve health equity is to address social injustice.

Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor 2009

We must never lose hope, even in the face of despair.

Speech 2012

The measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members.

Speech 2010

My patients are my teachers.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World 2003

We have to be willing to take risks for the sake of justice.

Speech 2013