While her career spans continents, disciplines, and roles, her mission has remained singular and urgent: to fight for the health and rights of women, adolescents, and children, as a clinician, researcher, academic, politician, WHO global health leaders, and civil society advocate 

Today, she leads the charge as the Director of the Aga Khan University’s Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa​, (CoEWCH EA). But her influence is not limited by geography. She serves as a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at both AKU and Ghent University in Belgium, while simultaneously acting as a senior Advisor to several ministries, research and policy organisations, universities, health sector and multilaterals, as well as development agencies. 

Professor Temmerman’s work is defined by a rare combination of scientific rigor and deep empathy. This year, Stanford University recognised her as one of the world’s top 2% scientists – proof of a career-long impact that few achieve.  

The numbers – over 36,000 citations and 600 publications – tell only part of the story. These statistics represent thousands of doctors and policymakers using her findings to make childbirth safer, improve reproductive health and save lives. Her scholarship does not just sit on library shelves; it shapes how the world cares for mothers and babies. In addition, she has supervised and mentored many master’s students and over 60 PhDs. 

Professor Temmerman understands that to truly improve health, you must improve the systems that govern it. She has moved seamlessly between the delivery room and the boardroom, advising global heavyweights like the UN, the European Union, and the African Union. 

She was a primary author of the UN Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016–2030)​ – essentially helping to write the playbook on how the world protects its most vulnerable populations. Whether sitting on the Guttmacher-Lancet Commission or advising the Organization of African First Ladies for Development on cancer care, she ensures that women’s health remains a priority on the global agenda. 

Her belief in partnership led her to found the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH) at Ghent University. Under her guidance, what began as a university centre has blossomed into a global network with sister organisations in Kenya and Mozambique, partnering with 27 universities worldwide.  

This relentless service has earned her profound recog​​nition, ranging from the BMJ Lifetime Achievement Award to being named one of the Top 100 Women Leaders in Global Health. Locally, her dedication to the people of East Africa was honoured in 2020 by the President of Kenya, who awarded her the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear​​ for distinguished service. 

She is also a member of the African Academy of Sciences, as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the US National Academy of Medicine. 

In recognition of her longstanding service, Ghent University established the Marleen Temmerman Fund, dedicated to improving the lives of women and children. Today, at AKU, Professor Temmerman continues to build on this legacy. She is not just conducting research; she is inspiring a new generation of health professionals to carry the torch, ensuring that the fight for women’s health continues long into the future. ​​​​​