This archive report was first published on 11 June 2020.
Published on June 11, 2020, Dr. Denis Mukwege, a Nobel Peace Prize winner from the Democratic Republic of Congo, has resigned from the country's special commission fighting Covid-19 in South Kivu.
The renowned doctor cited lack of facilitation from the government and inadequate laboratory resources as reasons for his resignation.
Dr. Mukwege noted that the team had been waiting for over two weeks to receive test results from the national biomedical research institute in Kinshasa, which hindered their strategy.
He also pointed out that the loosening of prevention measures, denial of reality, and porous borders had decreased the effectiveness of their strategy.
Dr. Mukwege, known for his work on surgeries for sexually violated women from the Congolese civil war, earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 alongside Iraqi Yazidi activist Nadia Murad.
His resignation from the special health commission may impact the national response team led by Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, another renowned medical researcher in the Congo.
