Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Associated Press - December 10, 2002
Dr. Hamza Brimah, a Nigerian who moved to the Delta in 1996, was found dead at his home Monday of a gunshot wound to the head, Sheriff Ricky Banks said. Deputies found a note from Brimah specifying his burial wishes.
The coroner ruled the death a suicide.
"I was never aware of any problem," said Dr. Alfio Rausa, a health officer who worked frequently with Brimah to promote HIV/AIDS prevention.
"It's a big loss to the community because - I guess I called him my 'communitarian' - he was very much involved in improving the quality of life here in the Delta," Rausa said.
The region, one of the poorest areas in the nation, has one of the highest HIV infection rates in Mississippi.
Before Brimah started a local HIV program in 1997, many HIV patients in the Delta had to travel up to 90 miles to Jackson for treatment.
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