Dr. Marie-Thérèse Lukusa

Dr. Marie-Thérèse Lukusa is a senior obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kinshasa (CHUK), the DRC's foremost public teaching hospital affiliated with the Université de Kinshasa. Over 16 years of practice, Dr. Lukusa has established herself as a leading clinician in high-risk obstetric care and gynaecological surgery at one of the busiest maternity units in Central Africa. CHUK's maternity service manages thousands of deliveries each year, many involving women referred from across Kinshasa and the broader DRC because of pregnancy complications. The challenges of maternal healthcare in the DRC are acute: the country has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, driven by postpartum haemorrhage, sepsis, preeclampsia, and complications of unsafe abortion, all of which fall within Dr. Lukusa's clinical scope. Her gynaecological practice includes management of cervical cancer, the most common gynaecological malignancy in the DRC, and uterine fibroid surgery. She is a committed advocate for cervical cancer screening programmes and has worked with international health partners to expand access to visual inspection and colposcopy services at CHUK. She conducts consultations in French and Lingala.

Dr. Lukusa completed her undergraduate medical training at the Faculté de Médecine of the Université de Kinshasa and undertook specialist training in gynaecology and obstetrics at CHUK, one of the few institutions in the DRC with a functioning specialist training programme in this discipline. She participated in advanced training workshops supported by international partners including UNFPA and FIGO, focusing on emergency obstetric care, vesicovaginal fistula repair, and oncological gynaecological surgery relevant to the Congolese disease pattern.

Dr. Lukusa performs caesarean sections and complex gynaecological surgery including hysterectomy and myomectomy. She manages obstetric haemorrhage with surgical and pharmacological interventions, including the use of uterine balloon tamponade and compression sutures when standard measures are insufficient. Her gynaecological oncology work focuses on cervical cancer, including colposcopy, LLETZ procedures, and surgical staging. She is experienced in managing complications of unsafe abortion, a significant cause of maternal morbidity in the DRC context. She oversees the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in the antenatal setting.

Dr. Lukusa has contributed to research on obstetric fistula and cervical cancer outcomes in the DRC through collaborations with the Université de Kinshasa and international academic partners. She has presented at regional FIGO-affiliated meetings on maternal mortality reduction and gynaecological cancer early detection. She participates in continuing medical education at CHUK as a lecturer in the specialist obstetrics and gynaecology training programme.

Dr. Lukusa provides gynaecological and obstetric care for international patients and NGO staff based in Kinshasa, as well as members of the Congolese diaspora returning from Europe. CHUK offers consultation services accessible to both Congolese nationals and foreign residents in the capital. She communicates in French and can review obstetric records from European health systems. Appointments are arranged through the hospital's gynaecology and obstetrics outpatient clinic.

Dr. Lukusa is a member of the Société Congolaise de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique and has been recognised for her contributions to cervical cancer screening advocacy and maternal mortality reduction at CHUK. She has received acknowledgement from international health organisations for her leadership in emergency obstetric care capacity building at the hospital.