A Call for the Moral Choice of Optimism in Global Health
Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), accompanied by Prof. Philip Cotton, UGHE Vice Chancellor, visited Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) on April 15. He delivered the keynote address, “Paul Farmer and the Unfinished Agenda for Global Health Equity,” in the 2025 Victor J. Dzau Distinguished Lecture in Global Health and Alumni Reception, held in the Karsh Alumni Center on Duke University’s campus.
“We’re always going to be trying to do things that most people think are impossible or shouldn’t be done.” Dr. Jim Yong Kim, UGHE Chancellor
In the 1990s, he and Dr. Paul Farmer dared to dream big when the world told them “No”. It seemed impossible to treat Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDRTB) in Peru. It was overly costly and unnecessarily complicated. But Dr. Jim Kim and Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founders of Partners In Health (PIH), refused to stand down, as low-income patients’ lives were being written off.
Dr. Paul’s team expanded the production of generic TB drugs, slashing medication costs by 90%. This proved that treating drug-resistant TB could be both effective and affordable in low-income countries, eliminating any doubts.
“When faced with poverty and disease, optimism is a moral choice,” Dr. Jim Kim told the Duke University audience.
Dr. Paul also advocated for expanded HIV treatment in poor countries, working alongside Dr. Jim Kim – who led the WHO’s HIV/AIDS program by then, in the early 2000s; Anthony Fauci; and others. Their efforts contributed to the 2003 launch of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which saved the lives of over 26 million people with HIV globally.
Dr. Jim Kim emphasized the importance of addressing pressing societal problems, such as improving access to mental health services, and encouraged focusing on issues future generations will not tolerate being ignored.
Despite challenges like reduced U.S. funding for global health, he urged optimism to global health researchers and students. He reminded them how Farmer remained determined despite limited resources and opposition, believing that progress could be achieved even in the toughest situations.
“The only chance we have is to choose to be optimistic,” he said.
In addition to his keynote, Dr. Jim Kim engaged with students, faculty, and staff across DGHI’s campus. He joined a class discussion on health systems in lower and middle-income countries, part of DGHI’s Master of Science in Global Health program. He also met with DGHI and Duke University leadership to explore future collaborations with UGHE.
The event featured a heartfelt tribute to Dr. Paul Farmer’s enduring legacy in global health, with his wife, Didi Bertrand Farmer, and sister, Peggy Farmer, being part of the event.
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