Transforming Health and Livelihoods: Paul Farmer Award by Dr. Lalitha Reggie and Dr. Reggie George | Pune News

In his advice to young doctors, Dr. Reggie said there is as much or more challenge in rural health work as in any fancy city specialties. “If it’s in you this is where you should go,” he said.

Their journey began when they reached the Setilingi Valley, Tamil Nadu, in 1993. The region’s health indicators were among the worst in India: the infant mortality rate was 147 per 1,000 live births, and maternal deaths were frequent.

Starting with a small thatched hut that served as their first clinic, they worked alongside the local tribal community to build what is now a 35-bed hospital and a network of trained health workers.

Their continued involvement has helped reduce the infant mortality rate to 8 per 1,000 children, with no maternal deaths in 15 years. Recognizing that health depends on food security, livelihoods and the environment, the couple expanded their vision beyond medicine. They have supported farmers in switching to organic millet-based farming and co-founded the Setilinghe Organic Farmers Association (SOFA), which now has over 700 members.

The couple has spent more than three decades promoting health equity and social justice through the Tribal Health Initiative (THI), and has also created organizations that work to empower women and preserve local traditions, such as the Borjai Artisans Association, which has revived traditional Lambadi embroidery, and Vanafil, a collective tailoring association.

“The story of the Setilenge Valley is one of transformation through solidarity,” said Dr. Robert Platt, Director of the McGill School of Population and Global Health, adding that these initiatives have brought economic stability, improved nutrition, and renewed cultural pride – demonstrating that lasting health equity grows from the soil of justice and self-reliance.

According to Dr. Madhukar Pai, Head of Global and Public Health at McGill, McGill established the Paul Farmer Lecture and Global Health Equity Prize in 2024 in memory of the late Dr. Paul Farmer, physician, anthropologist, and co-founder of Partners in Health — whose work redefined global health through its ethical commitment to the world’s most marginalized communities.

Each year, the award honors an individual or couple whose life’s work embodies Dr. Farmer’s vision of a “preferential option for the poor.” “This year’s co-winners were selected through a rigorous two-stage review process that included evaluation by an international selection committee from 37 nominations worldwide,” Dr. Pai added.