I would say that, intellectually, Catholicism had no more impact on me than did social theory. Paul Farmer More Quotes by Paul Farmer More Quotes From Paul Farmer The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world. Paul Farmer naturerootsideas If access to health care is considered a human right, who is considered human enough to have that right? Paul Farmer human-rightscarehealth For me, an area of moral clarity is: you're in front of someone who's suffering and you have the tools at your disposal to alleviate that suffering or even eradicate it, and you act. Paul Farmer moraltoolssuffering With rare exceptions, all of your most important achievements on this planet will come from working with others- or, in a word, partnership. Paul Farmer working-with-othersachievementimportant God gives us humans everything we need to flourish, but he's not the one who's supposed to divvy up the loot. You want to see where Christ crucified abides today? Go to where the poor are suffering and fighting back, and that's where He is. Paul Farmer fightingsufferinggiving The essence of global health equity is the idea that something so precious as health might be viewed as a right. Paul Farmer essencemightideas If I am hungry, that is a material problem; if someone else is hungry, that is a spiritual problem. Paul Farmer hungryproblemspiritual The poorest parts of the world are by and large the places in which one can best view the worst of medicine and not because doctors in these countries have different ideas about what constitutes modern medicine. It's the system and its limitations that are to blame. Paul Farmer different-ideasmedicinecountry But if you're asking my opinion, I would argue that a social justice approach should be central to medicine and utilized to be central to public health. This could be very simple: the well should take care of the sick. Paul Farmer medicinesimplejustice We have to design a health delivery system by actually talking to people and asking, 'What would make this service better for you?' As soon as you start asking, you get a flood of answers. Paul Farmer designtalkingpeople What I can argue is that no one should have to die of a disease that is treatable. Paul Farmer diseaseshould-havearguing The only way to do the human rights thing is to do the right thing medically. Paul Farmer humansrightsway That's when I feel most alive, when I'm helping people. Paul Farmer alivehelpingpeople You can't have public health without a public health system. We just don't want to be part of a mindless competition for resources. We want to build back capacity in the system. Paul Farmer resourcescompetitionwant It is very expensive to give bad medical care to poor people in a rich country. Paul Farmer rich-countriescountrypeople The idea that because you're born in Haiti you could die having a child. The idea that because you're born in you know Malawi your children may go to bed hungry. We want to take some of the chance out of that. Paul Farmer haitichildrenideas There is nothing wrong with underlining personal agency, but there is something unfair about using personal responsibility as a basis for assigning blame while simultaneously denying those who are being blamed the opportunity to exert agency in their lives Paul Farmer agencyresponsibilityopportunity ...In a world riven by inequity, medicine could be viewed as social justice work. Paul Farmer medicinejusticeworld Equity is the only acceptable goal Paul Farmer equityacceptablegoal People call me a saint and I think, I have to work harder. Because a saint would be a great thing to be. Paul Farmer hard-workpeoplethinking
