This year marked a historic moment for the Democratic Republic of Congo. Doctor Denis Mukwege was awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. A gynecologist by trade, he has been treating victims of wartime rape for nearly 20 years. Let's take a look back at his critical work and advocacy against the use of sexual assault as a tool of war.

In 1999 Doctor Denis Mukwege returned to his hometown of Bukavu where he founded the Panzi Hospital.

Bukavu is the capital city of South Kivu located in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As the country descended into chaos, residents of Bukavu were hard hit by the upsurge of violence.

Patients started coming into Doctor Mukwege's hospital, but not just with gunshot wounds, but with horrific injuries as a result of systematic rapes carried out by armed fighters.

DR. DENIS MUKWEGE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE "All the victims have been raped with unbelievable brutality. Those who manage to survive reach the hospital in a state of incredible physical and psychological destruction. Often they arrive with the genital system destroyed by bullets or sharp objects, an act of savagery unheard before in the history of the region."

From his training as a gynecologist, Doctor Mukwege soon found himself having to push his medical skills beyond the calling of his practice.

As thousands of patients continued to stream into his hospital, he found himself being thrust into a new role as an activist.

He started using his growing platform to call for more action from the government and international players to stop the use of rape as a weapon of war.

In 2012 he gave a galvanizing speech to the UN calling for a stop of the practice.

He was forced to flee the country after armed men attacked his residence holding his daughters hostage.

He returned in 2013 to Bukavu, where he received a warm welcome from residents.

DR. DENIS MUKWEGE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE "My decision to come back to Bukavu was motivated by the fact that I was determined to pursue the fight against sexual violence, which is taking place in eastern Congo. The second reason was the determination of the Congolese women, whether its women in the diaspora or the women of the country, the demand and their calls were too strong for me to resist."

UN officials have called DRC the epicenter of the use of rape as a weapon of war. A study published by the American Journal of Public Health in 2011, estimated that 1 point 8 million women had been raped in the DRC. Based on a 2007 survey, the study indicated 12 percent of women in the country had been raped in their lives. The scale of rapes, assaults during conflicts was indeed massive. Doctor Dennis Mukwege has treated around 85 thousand of the country's million plus rape victims.

In 2018 Doctor Mukwege alongside Yazidi activist, Nadia Murad, were chosen as the Nobel Peace Prize awardees. The doctor found out about his nomination in the most appropriate setting.

DR. DENIS MUKWEGE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE "It is with great humility that I learned of this news while I was in the middle of performing surgery in my hospital. Today, my thoughts turn immediately to all survivors of rape and sexual violence in conflict zones around the world. I am honored to be named alongside Nadia Murad, with whom I have shared this fight for some time."

As Doctor Mukwege graced the stage in Oslo, Norway to accept his award, back home in Bukavu residents were cheering their hometown hero.

BISIMWA SAFARI BUKAVU RESIDENT "It is something that has never happened in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the people of Congo needed it because it has been over 20 years of difficulty and conflict and I think this Nobel Prize is a reason for us to cheer."

Even amidst the pomp of the ceremony, Doctor Mukwege brought light to the work he continues to do and its necessity.

DR. DENIS MUKWEGE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE "For me, it's very, very important to throw light on the violence that women suffer in conflict zones, because it can't be a question of not acting because we didn't know. This prize will certainly bring the international community face-to-face with its responsibilities regarding women and children in conflict zones. We hope that our presence here doesn't mean that this prize is considered a victory in itself, but rather that it is seen as a start to fight back against an evil which is gnawing away at our society: the violence done to women in war."

As conflicts continue in DRC and globally, violence against women remains an important issue. Doctor Denis Mukwege performs the remarkable duty of healing women at his hospital, and speaking for the patients he has cured.

Asta Tall, CGTN.