You're listening to the BBC World Service. I'm Rosiea Iqbal in London.

Welcome to this special program on health and health care. In the next hour I'll be joined by Dr Paul

Farmer, the renowned physician, anthropologist and writer to answer questions from people

around the world about health care where they live or work. We'll be hearing from doctors,

academics and members of the public in China, India, Brazil, Nigeria, the USA and Europe.

Brought together with help from the Berwyn Institute, all are lined up with questions to put to him.

Dr. Farmer is the latest recipient of the Bergruen Prize for philosophy and culture

for his work in health care.

He's written extensively on health, human rights and the consequences of social inequality.

And he's worked across the world, from Haiti to Peru, from Russia to the continent of Africa.

His has been a lifetime of collaboration helping set up health care

systems for some of the world's poorest populations. The jury said he had

reshaped our understanding of not just what it means to be sick or healthy but also what it means

to treat health as a human right.

Dr. Farmer joins me now from Miami.

Welcome Paul and very warm congratulations on the award and thank you so much for being

with us.

Thank you Rosie it's great to be here I'm very honored.

We have lots and lots of questions coming up but I want to start by just

rewinding back to your origins I wonder if you can help us pinpoint that time in

your life when you knew that you wanted to try and make a difference?

You know, I come from a very large family, eight people, and we lived in very modest circumstances,

...