Dr. Paul Farmer on the Importance of Aid and How to Improve It
Posted on Dec 13, 2013
This week, Foreign Affairs published an essay by PIH Co-founder Dr. Paul Farmer that delves into the discussion over foreign aid effectiveness. Dr. Farmer starts off by explaining that, “So much is written and said about foreign aid that it has become difficult to contribute meaningfully to the debate about whether it is effective.”
Nevertheless, he dispels myths about aid and offers suggestions about how to make it work, drawing on lessons from Haiti and Rwanda, and PEPFAR and the Global Fund. He makes the case that aid can save lives and make an enduring impact, and offers five recommendations to improve aid’s effectiveness.
“None of these proposals is easy,” he concludes. “But the rewards awaiting us at the end are well worth the arduous journey of getting there.”
