Bila M. Kapita

Bila M. Kapita is a doctor from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo who aided in initial research efforts investigating HIV/AIDS in Africa in the 1980s and 1990s. Kapita is credited as one of the first African scientists to independently identify that AIDS was prevalent in Central Africa. Research work in collaboration with Project SIDA helped identify and publicize the heterosexual sexual transmission of HIV. Following his research career, he continued caring for patients with HIV/AIDS and has more recently returned to practicing cardiology.

Biography

Early life and career Bila M. Kapita was raised in a Swedish mission in the Bas-Congo province of the former Belgian Congo.

Kapita received medical training in Brussels, Belgium at the Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, where he focused on cardiology, publishing several research articles on the subject dating back to 1975.

Upon return to Zaire, Kapita practiced cardiology and general medicine at the Mama Yemo Hospital, becoming head of internal medicine. A group of researchers from Belgium, the United States, and France were first introduced to the state of Africa's AIDS pandemic in the isolation wards of Kapita's hospital.

Patients in the wards of Mama Yemo were clearly affected by AIDS per the clinical definitions in place at that time. Almost all of the patients confirmed to have AIDS using laboratory based tests were already identified by Kapita without laboratory tests.

Project SIDA From 1984 to 1991 Kapita collaborated with Project SIDA at Mama Yemo, producing between 20 and 30 research articles on the transmission, history, and future of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Work was conducted in Kapita's hospital early on in the program to increase chances of approval from government authorities.

Kapita was present at the first International AIDS Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in 1985. Prior to public knowledge of HIV prevalence in Zaire at the time, Kapita faced the threat of becoming a political prisoner under Mobutu Sese Seko’s regime for acknowledging the issue on a global stage without permission from the government.

Following the end of Project SIDA due to civil war in Zaire, Kapita continued to appear on international research articles, the last being published in 1993. Kapita continued to work at Mama Yemo, until at least 1997, treating patients with HIV/AIDS.

A hallmark of Project SIDA was the training of Congolese researchers, resulting in many well-trained doctors such as Kapita existing in Kinshasa. American and European collaborators established traditional research procedure in Kinshasa, establishing an institutional review board led by Kapita.

Partial bibliography Piot, Peter, et al. (1984-07-14). “ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME IN A HETEROSEXUAL POPULATION IN ZAIRE.” The Lancet. Mann, Jonathan M., et al. (1986-09-27). “NATURAL HISTORY OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS INFECTION IN ZAIRE.” The Lancet. Colebunders, Robert, et al. (1988-12-31). “BREASTFEEDING AND TRANSMISSION OF HIV.” The Lancet. Kapita, Bila M. (1988). SIDA En Afrique. N’Galy, Bosenge, et al. (1988-10-27). “Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection among Employees in an African Hospital.” New England Journal of Medicine. Hassig, S. E., et al. (1990) “An Analysis of the Economic Impact of HIV Infection among Patients at Mama Yemo Hospital, Kinshasa, Zaire.” AIDS. Piot, P., et al. (1991). “AIDS in Africa: The First Decade and Challenges for the 1990s.” AIDS. Piot, Peter, et al. (1992). AIDS in Africa: A Manual for Physicians. World Health Organization. Thea, Donald M., et al. (1993-05-01). “Prevalence of Enteric Viruses among Hospital Patients with AIDS in Kinshasa, Zaire.” Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.