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| Denis Mukwege in City Of Joy |
Doctor Denis Mukwege,, whose work recently featured in documentary City Of Joy and has previously been profiled in Congo: The Doctor Who Saves Women, today received the Nobel Peace Prize. A former recipient of the UN Human Rights Prize, he was operating at Panzi Hospital when he heard the news.
Mukwege specialises in reconstructive surgery used to help women who have been victims of rape, which has been used extensively to terrorise populations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Those affected, who include children, frequently have chronic pain and loss of basic bodily functions. Some suffer for years without access to treatment and others would die without prompt medical intervention. Mukwege dedicated his prize to his patients.
In 2012, Mukwege left the country after ongoing threats to his family led to his daughters being taken hostage, but he subsequently returned and now lives under the protection of UN guards.
