My name is Dr. Judith Kouematchoua Tchuitcheu, born Heukoua Njanda.

Since 2010, I have been practicing as a gynaecologist in Hamburg city center. I was born in Cameroon, and lived there until I graduated from high school in 1994; the same year I came to Germany to study medicine. Thus, I was able to realize my childhood dream. I studied in Giessen, Geneva and Nairobi.

Immediately after graduating, I completed a diploma course in public health and tropical medicine in Heidelberg, Germany, directly followed by an internship at the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The GIZ is an institution of the German Federal Ministry for Cooperation in Eschborn near Frankfurt. My internship took place in the field of combating female genital mutilation (FGM). Subsequently, I did a stint as a visiting fellow in the field of malaria research at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva. When I was offered the opportunity to continue my work at the WHO, I had a difficult decision to make. Should I devote myself entirely to the field of public health or pursue a clinical career? I found both incredibly interesting, but could not combine them at the time. Opting for the latter, I returned to Germany to do my internship in obstetrics and gynaecology. I knew that with more clinical experience, I would be better able to reach and support a wider range of people.

After five years of specialisation at hospitals in Rheine, Vechta, Neuwied, and Hanover as a specialist, I am now based in Hamburg, as aforementioned. The many changes of location in my professional biography so far have been conscious decisions made in the pursuit of specific goals. Now I have found my haven!

Both at times in my native country Cameroon and later in all my travels, I have often had the experience of belonging to a minority: young (well, that changes with time!), female, Christian, or Black. Contrastingly, I also found myself taking for granted the advantages of belonging to a majority – Francophone or Christian – and not questioning the privilege that comes with it. In the course of my life, I have been able to examine these different facets and develop empathy for various life situations. I have learned for example, that one of the most important tools for successful communication is language. It is therefore important to me to use the three world languages I speak (German, French and English) effectively.

I have been socially active since my early student days. My “home association” is Camfomedics e.V., the German-Cameroonian Medical Association (formerly a student association), of which I have been a board member several times. It was founded in 1994.

I am married and we have five children. My family is always an inspiration to me, but also a challenge. How do we manage the balancing act between work and family? What issues do we encounter in everyday life with parenting, discrimination, partnership, family, and friends?

Medicine is my passion. I really enjoy helping people to stay healthy, get healthy again, and lead a good, self-determined life. So far however, I have only been able to reach those who come to my office. Certain professional challenges, the healthcare system, and the current health policies do not offer me the framework to reach people at the extent I would prefer and am capable of.

Through this project, I wish to use my professional experience, expertise, and biography to:

Connect with more people easily in different languages;

Increase accessibility to important information regarding health, lifestyle, and integration;

Make Germany’s healthcare system easier to understand, thus facilitating encounters between clientele and healthcare staff (e.g., how to better prepare for an appointment);

Offer advice, especially on gynaecological topics;

Offer multilingual individual or group counselling/coaching sessions on selected topics in the field of health and integration;

Support actors in the healthcare system in dealing more sensitively with issues around discrimination.