Africa Physician and Theologian Peter Okaalet named TIME Magazine Global Health Hero

MAP International's Africa Director Brings Holistic Vision to Fight HIV and AIDS

Dr. Peter Okaalet was named a "Global Health Hero" By Time Magazine. His profile was published in the November 7, 2005 edition of the weekly news magazine. Photo Courtesy: Doug Goodman for TIME

November 3, 2005, New York City -- Dr. Peter Okaalet, Africa Director of MAP International, has been named as one of TIME magazine’s Global Health Heroes, an honor recognized during TIME Magazine Global Health Summit in New York City, November 1-3.

Dr. Okaalet is recognized for his leadership in empowering and engaging the faith community in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa.  Dr. Okaalet and MAP International developed a theological curriculum and other educational materials  provided to seminary students in 14 Theological Institutions and Bible Colleges in six African countries: Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 

The curriculum provides basic education about human sexuality and HIV/AIDS, coaches the Church to respond with compassion and equips students with leadership and other pragmatic programming skills.

There are currently 1,349 students enrolled in the 14 institutions receiving instruction.  Already, 230 have graduated from the institutions with HIV/AIDS counseling certificates.  MAP's role has been the development of the curriculum itself and the training of teachers to competently communicate the program to students. 

Because MAP also instills a responsibility among students to carry the curriculum to peers within their churches, students of the curriculum have reached thousands across Sub-Saharan Africa.  

As a result of these efforts, Dr. Okaalet and MAP International have paved the way for thousands of African clergy to walk with people living with HIV and AIDS, bringing spiritual healing and hope alongside the medical treatment.  According to Dr. Okaalet, the journey still is far from over.  “There is still darkness and ignorance out there.  Yet our purpose is clear.  We must empty our world of judgment and fill it with compassion and knowledge.”   Like most great heroes, Dr. Okaalet’s story begins with the desire to help one man.  A friend on his deathbed, body suffering from the affects of AIDS, challenged him:  “What more can you do to save my life?”  In that moment, Dr. Okaalet realized that his medical training alone was not enough.  He needed to help heal the whole person.  

Dr. Peter Okaalet and Pastor Rick Warren were faith leaders addressing gathering of TIME Global Health Summit. Courtesy: Evan Agostini-Getty Images for TIME

In the two years following his friend’s death, Dr. Okaalet sought to learn what could have helped his friend.  His search led him to get a Masters degree in divinity.  His journey was just beginning.  Where he saw a need to bring church and medicine together to heal people affected with HIV and AIDS, he found a Church full of judgment and empty of compassion.  

He witnessed clergy standing at the door of the AIDS ward of a hospital and waving to the patients and the caregivers at their bedside.  “‘God Bless You’ they would say, and then they would walk away.  At the time, this was considered progress,” Dr. Okaalet said.  “By stigmatizing people living with HIV and AIDS, the Church was adding to the pain and suffering.”

In his quest, Dr. Okaalet found MAP International, a faith-based global relief organization that was bringing a holistic vision to fight HIV and AIDS in Kenya.  MAP had just concluded a landmark study in Kenya about clergy attitudes toward HIV and AIDS which found that:  

• 97 percent of clergy knew AIDS was a problem in Kenya
• 70 percent said there were people in their congregations with AIDS
• More than 60 percent received no training about AIDS or STDs

Today Dr. Okaalet directs Africa’s programs in Nairobi, Kenya and Cote d'Ivoire.