Harvard Medical School professor, anthropologist, and co-founder of the nonprofit health organization Partners in Health has died at age 62. PIH confirmed his death in a tweet on Monday
According to the tweet, Farmer "unexpectedly passed away today in his sleep while in Rwanda," where he had been teaching for the past few weeks at the university he co-founded.
A source close to Farmer said he had been in Rwanda for the past several weeks teaching at the University of Global Health Equity
the medical school that he helped found with the country's former minister of health, Dr. Agnes Binagwaho
In addition to starting hospitals in Rwanda and Haiti, Farmer helped bring lifesaving HIV drugs to the people of Haiti in the early 2000s.
"Paul Farmer's loss is devastating, but his vision for the world will live on through Partners in Health
Paul taught all those around him the power of accompaniment, love for one another, and solidarity.
Our deepest sympathies are with his wife Didi and three children," said PIH CEO Sheila Davis, in a statement.
World leaders, global health champions, students, former colleagues and celebrities expressed their condolences on Twitter.