Rewriting the story of birth | Marleen Temmerman & Stephan Balzer | TEDxBerlin Salon

Quick Overview

Marleen Temmerman, a gynecologist and former Belgian Senator, advocates for unified global efforts, especially involving political leaders, scientists, and NGOs, to address preventable maternal mortality, citing her work in Kenya and the need to break down silos across different systems like healthcare and politics.

Key Points: Temmerman spent 10 years working in Kenya, including at Aga Khan University and in slums in Nairobi and Pumwani, focusing on maternal health. She highlights that in 2017, 72 women died in her hands due to preventable causes, which motivated her career shift towards politics and policy. Temmerman notes that despite significant progress, especially in reducing maternal mortality (nearly 40% reduction since 2015 Millennium Development Goals), there is still a massive gap. She emphasizes the need for integrated collaboration between various sectors—politics, science, NGOs, and the private sector—to implement changes effectively. She points out that only 2% of scientists working on maternal/newborn health are recognized by institutions like Stanford University, indicating a lack of broad recognition for critical research. Temmerman stresses that successful implementation requires clear goals and a unified leadership approach, rather than fragmented efforts across different silos.

Context: This video features an interview at a TEDxBerlin Salon event called "The First Breath: Stories of Life and Science," featuring Marleen Temmerman and Stephan Balzer. Temmerman is introduced as a gynecologist, former Senator in Belgium, and a figure with extensive experience in global health, particularly in Kenya, who transitioned from clinical practice to policy work to tackle preventable maternal deaths.

Detailed Analysis

The interview focuses on Marleen Temmerman's career trajectory, starting from her work as a gynecologist in clinical practice and academia, including over 600 publications and supervising 50 PhD students, to her transition into politics as an elected Senator in Belgium. She recounts being deeply affected by the 72 maternal deaths she witnessed in her care in Kenya between 2017 and her subsequent decision to move into policy, driven by the need to address systemic issues. Temmerman notes the significant, yet insufficient, progress made toward the Millennium Development Goals for maternal mortality, citing a 40% reduction, but stressing that many deaths remain preventable. She argues that the current fragmented approach, where different sectors (government, science, NGOs, private sector) work in silos, wastes energy and time. She calls for a unified leadership approach and better collaboration across these sectors to effectively implement necessary changes in global health, particularly concerning maternal and newborn health, which she believes is a critical area needing unified action.