Irish missionary awarded for commitment to people with AIDS

Sr Miriam Duggan

Sister Miriam Duggan, from Limerick, a Franciscan Missionary of the Sisters for Africa, was awarded for her dedication to people with AIDS/HIV and commitment in fighting the pandemic in Africa. She graduated in medicine at the University College in Cork, the missionary specialized in obstetrics and gynecology in Birmingham in 1969, and continued to work for 30 years in Uganda as chief medical officer of St Francis' Hospital, Nsambya, in Kampala.

In 1987 she launched the Youth Alive program of prevention with the aim of addressing the main causes of the spread of HIV and help young people to take responsible choices to avoid contracting AIDS. The number of infections in Uganda has decreased, thanks to this program, which was promoted in 21 other African countries.

The prevalence rate of AIDS in Uganda in 2002 saw a decline from 28.9% to 9.8%. In 2006 Sister Miriam was honored by Harvard University and Holy Cross College of the the United States, and in 2008 received a prize for her work by the President and Parliament of Uganda.

Source: Fides