Doctor Kolawole Rafiu Adigun had his mind set on becoming a mechanical engineer, but then opted for medicine because he wanted to make an impact.

Now the 46-year-old is fulfilling his "purpose" as a rural doctor in Bethal, Mpumalanga.

Seven years ago, the father of four moved his young family from Nigeria to SA to work at a rural hospitalwhere he knew there was a critical shortage of doctors.

Adigun's enduring passion for his patients is well known at Bethal Hospital, where he is one of many foreign doctors bringing about change in the community.

His significant contribution in spearheading a successful HIV and tuberculosis counselling and testing campaign won him the prestigious Pierre Jacques Rural Doctor of the Year award this month.

''I was so humbled by the award, because the campaign involved many people," he said.

The Rural Doctors' Association said Adigun's remarkable commitment to the awareness campaign had helped save many lives. Award organiser Dr Elma de Vries commended him for initiating testing among healthcare professionals.

"Too many healthcare professionals are diagnosed too late, and Dr Adigun encouraged all hospital staff to get tested. He's done a wonderful job in the community," De Vries said.

Adigun said he chose to come to SA because of the shortage of healthcare workers. ''SA needed my services. At the end of the day, my contribution is significant. It makes a difference."

In a community fearful of being tested, Adigun developed a blueprint to empower the locals to take responsibility for their wellbeing. He said he wanted to save lives and knew that he would make a bigger impact out in the community, rather than in his consulting rooms.

Adigun, who specialised as a family physician at the University of Pretoria, said his family had settled well in SA. ''My children are very happy here, and they are brilliant. They always come home with trophies."

He said he preferred working in a rural hospital, despite the limited resources, because doctors had little time for their patients in the cities.

''I've always been a man of the people. I wanted to work in a rural area because you can have the feedback of the people. In a rural area, you are able to see the impact of your work."

A witness of the devastation of HIV and TB, Adigun said he wanted to prevent new infections and devised a plan to reduce the risks in Mpumalanga, which has the second-highest infections after KwaZulu-Natal. The prevalence rate is 35.5%.

According to him, Bethal is the worst-hit district in the province with a 40.5% rate of infection.

He said the campaign included pre- and post-test counselling. It also enrolled HIV-positive patients in a wellness programme. He organised meetings with school principals, miners, farm workers and police to ensure they were a part of the campaign. He trained hundreds of community members to counsel and even do the testing.

Everyone tested becomes an ambassador for the awareness campaign. ''We even trained the local sangomas to do the testing because, for most people in this area, the sangomas are the first port of call."

He keeps a detailed archive of the project. His goal i s to ensure that 250000 people are tested by next year . ''HIV and TB do n't respect nations; they don't discriminate. They are preventable, and I want to make an impact to stem the threat of HIV and prevent new infections ."