PRESS
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Columnist Nicholas Kristof travels around the U.S. and the world, shedding light on crises and unsung heroes. After 35 years at the Times, he compiled some of the work that is still particularly meaningful to him. Amid touching stories of the Tiananmen Massacre, child sex slaves, persecution of the Rohingya in Myammar, this is what he wrote about Dr. Tom and the Mother of Mercy Hospital:
“People sometimes ask how I stay optimistic when I cover war, genocide and poverty. The answer is simple: Side by side with the worst of humanity, you encounter the best. I’ve made repeated trips to the rebel-held Nuba Mountains of Sudan, where the government dropped bombs and starved villagers, and there I met an extraordinary human being, Dr. Tom Catena, who has devoted his life to providing medical care as the bombs fall around him. A Muslim paramount chief told me that “Dr. Tom,” as he is known, heals the sick and lets the lame walk — and thus “He’s Jesus Christ.”
“On one trip to the Nuba Mountains, I was sickened to visit an extended family that had lost six children to a bomb but also moved that Dr. Tom had managed to save three others. So I return from a war zone like that scarred by the pain I’ve witnessed, but also uplifted by the goodness, strength and decency shown by people like Dr. Tom — and actually feeling better about humanity.”
UN Dispatch: Tom Catena is a Hero Doctor of Sudan’s Nuba Mountains (Podcast)
Mark Leon Goldberg interviews Dr. Tom in Yerevan, Armenia where he was on hand to participate in events around the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. Goldberg says “This is a powerful conversation with a true humanitarian who has saved countless lives in extremely difficult circumstances.”
Tom Catena in Fresno, CA for Aurora Prize Tour
In addition to caring for the people of the Nuba Mountains, this year, as the Aurora Prize Initiative Chair, Dr. Tom has been traveling and speaking about the Mother of Mercy Hospital and the Aurora Prize, conveying what the prize meant to him, and inspiring others to get involved in humanitarian work.
Today he was in Fresno, California. He toured the Saroyan House Museum, and spoke about how the prize he received two years ago impacted his work in Sudan where he typically treats up to 400 patients a day. “It allowed us to keep going and we’re taking care of… 120,000 people in a year doing a thousand operations and 7,000, so it’s a pretty big operation. So this was a huge boost to us financially.. ” he said.
The Heart of Nuba on Voice of America
The Voice of America has included three excellent segments on The Heart of Nuba in their international coverage in late October and November. Voice of America provides trusted and objective news and information in 45 languages to a measured weekly audience of more than 187 million people around the world.
Video: Africa 45. Click on image to watch.
Article: Film Raises Funds for Isolated Hospital in Sudanese War Zone:
Podcast: One Doctor Stayed: Film Supports Sudanese Hospital in War Area:
Tom Catena to Speak at the 2019 World Health Summit in Berlin, Oct 27-29
Dr. Tom Catena, Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Chair and 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate, will participate as speaker at the 2019 World Health Summit to take place on October 27 to 29, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. Dr. Catena will join leading healthcare experts and decision-makers from around the globe to discuss ways to advance global health agendas and promote science thought leadership.
“As part of the Aurora community of humanitarians, it is a great honor to attend the World Health Summit and speak about issues so close to our hearts and essential to Aurora’s mission,” said Dr. Catena. “The World Health Summit brings together people who are keen on finding efficient solutions and eliminating obstacles so that no man, woman or child is ever left behind. In Nuba, I’ve witnessed the power of that philosophy with my own eyes.”
Dr. Catena will speak at a keynote session titled “Transforming Human Capital: Investing in Health and Education,” along with representatives from KPMG, the World Bank and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Dr. Catena will also join the former German Minister of Health, Hermann Gröhe and Siemens Healthineers CEO Dr. Bernd Montag at a side event titled “Breaking the Silos – Improving Global Health through Collaborative Action.”
Attracting 2,500 high-level participants from 100 countries, the World Health Summit has become one of the preeminent annual forums for opinion leaders from politics, academia, civil society and the healthcare industry to discuss joint opportunities and responsibilities in improving global health.