Monde Precious Maruza, from Botswana, is a medical doctor who is currently pursuing Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
In Setswana there is a proverb that says “mosadi ke thari ya Sechaba” which translates to a woman is the pillar of the nation. It has all the positive connotations of being an incubator to human life and primary nurturer until the offspring is ready to take on the world. Hence, Monde believes if you take care of the women it will reflect in the nation. She is passionate about maternal and perinatal survival. With the shortage of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in Botswana, women outside the cities have difficulty accessing the necessary specialized care. This has made her passionate about taking the services to the people. In just five months, she was able to successfully lead an outreach program in 2021 that handled 164 surgical cases and 200 clinic visits. She plans to return home in the future and keep trying to find strategies to increase maternal and perinatal survival. She intends on bridging the distance between women and the healthcare they need.
She is currently looking into hypertensives disorders of pregnancy (high blood pressure in pregnancy) for her thesis. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy contribute significantly to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
