Sr Kate Costigan was featured in an article in the Global Development section of The Guardian on Sunday outlining her outstanding work in the area of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania.
People in Africa living with HIV/AIDS face not only medical problems but also social problems associated with the disease. One of the barriers to reaching those who are at risk or infected with HIV/AIDS is the stigma associated with diagnosis.
As pointed out in the Guardian article, Sr Kate “rides a motorbike to deliver HIV care to local villages quickly, while churches invite health experts to give seminars on getting tested”.
Sr Kate is painfully aware that the giving of drugs alone will not stem the tide of the HIV pandemic in the communities she works in. It takes great compassion to connect with the people and build trust, and it is this combination of compassion and mutual trust that is essential to the work being done in Africa.
You can read the full Guardian article here.