Improving maternal health in Indonesia: new PhD project targets preeclampsia care

What is the focus of your doctoral studies?

My doctoral studies focus on understanding and improving the management of preeclampsia in Indonesia. Preeclampsia continues to be one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in the country, and many women arrive at hospitals already in critical condition.

The project includes four sub-studies. I will begin by exploring what we currently know about preeclampsia care in Indonesia. Then, I will speak with healthcare providers, obstetricians, midwives, nurses, to better understand their daily challenges. I will also analyse hospital data to identify which women are most at risk of serious complications. Finally, I will work on developing a risk-prediction tool that can help clinicians identify high-risk cases early, especially in emergency settings where time and resources are limited.

Overall, the goal is to combine clinical data, system insights, and provider perspectives to form a clearer picture of how care can be improved.

Are there any areas you feel particularly excited about?

I am especially excited about the possibility of creating a risk-prediction tool that is truly adapted to the Indonesian context. Many existing tools were developed in high-resource settings, so they don’t always reflect the realities faced by hospitals in low- and middle-income countries.

If we can develop a simple, reliable tool that helps frontline clinicians decide when a woman needs urgent attention, an ICU bed, or rapid referral, it could make a real difference.

I am also looking forward to the qualitative part of the project. Hearing directly from healthcare providers, their ideas, frustrations, and hopes, feels important. Their experiences will guide the rest of the work, and I think these conversations will be one of the most meaningful parts of the journey.

I hope that the findings can support policymakers and health leaders as they work to improve maternal care. Ultimately, the aim is simple: for more mothers and babies to survive pregnancy and childbirth, and for the health system to better support the people who care for them.