Helene-Mari van der Westhuizen

Biography

Helene-Mari choose a career in medicine as it represents an intersection between people's stories, science and policy. She is co-founder of the NGO, TB Proof, which focuses on preventing Tuberculosis transmission in healthcare facilities and reducing TB stigma. She co-led the Safe Working Hours campaign which reviewed the impact of fatigue on medical error and led to a reduction in the maximum continuous shift for junior doctors in South Africa. She founded the Stellenbosch University Medical Orchestra in which she played the oboe for five years. Helene-Mari would like to pursue a career in public health and intends to study Primary Care at Oxford University, looking at strategies for TB prevention in high burden settings.