Marking the third anniversary of Dr. Paul Farmer’s sudden passing, my heart is filled with a mix of sorrow and gratitude. Paul was my husband and the father of our three children. The loss remains profound, but so too does my appreciation for his life and the impact he had. He was a visionary, tireless militant and a fierce defender who left an indelible mark on global health. His lifelong commitment to social justice transformed health systems, saved countless lives, and continues to inspire the world. This year, I want to honor him by reflecting on the connections between his dedication to global health equity and his love of gardening. Paul’s “beautiful garden” was more than a metaphor; it was his vision of social justice in health care, nurturing seeds of caring, teaching, learning, and mentoring, with partnership and accompaniment as deep roots in the fertile soil of equity. From this foundation, a garden of justice continues to bloom, shaping our collective future. [New England Journal of Medicine]

I. The Beautiful Garden of Global Health Equity — A Vision of Social Justice in Health Care

Paul was a physician and an anthropologist, but he was also an avid gardener. His passion and commitment to social justice along with his love for nature and his ability to tend to it have provided profound insights into how he conceptualized and applied his vision to global health equity. Through his contributions to global health, mainly through the work of Partners in Health (PIH), he showed us that tending to our world is like tending to a garden, a place that — when nurtured with care — could yield health, justice, and opportunity for all. PIH’s work in Haiti, Rwanda, Peru, Mexico, Liberia, and beyond exemplifies this ethos. The global health equity garden is not just an ideal place, but a living, growing endeavor that requires constant attention, hard work, resources, and the collective effort of communities, institutions, governments, and individuals.

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