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Home > News Translations

Message en hommage à Marleen Boelaert du Directeur Exécutif de DNDi, le Dr Bernard Pécoul

16 Jun 2020
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C’est avec une extrême tristesse que nous avons appris le décès de Marleen Boelaert. Cette figure emblématique de la lutte contre les maladies tropicales négligées a fait montre toute sa vie non seulement d’un grand professionnalisme mais surtout d’un engagement inégalable et inaltéré pour résoudre les problèmes des plus défavorisés, même ces dernières années alors qu’elle luttait contre la maladie.

Passionnée par ses recherches et par la transmission aux futures générations, elle a formé un nombre incalculable de jeunes chercheurs, notamment en Afrique, en Asie et en Amérique latine, par l’intermédiaire de l’Institut de Médecine Tropicale d’Anvers (IMT) qui proposait des masters en santé publique à des chercheurs ou scientifiques de pays touchés de près par les maladies tropicales.

Prof Marleen Boelaert in kala azar endemic villages in Bihar in 2006.
Professeur Marleen Boelaert visitant des villages endémiques de la leishmaniose viscérale à Bihar en 2006. La visite, menée avec l’équipe d’entomologie du RMRI (Dr Diwakar Dinesh et Dr Vijay Kumar) faisait partie du projet KALANET.

Ainsi, co-fondatrice de la Plateforme THA en 2005, Marleen a de tout temps été très engagée dans la lutte contre la maladie du sommeil et a encouragé beaucoup de membres de la plateforme à poursuivre leur formation. Le coordinateur de la plateforme Florent Mbo, basé en République démocratique du Congo, se souvient : « C’est grâce à elle que nous avons pu nous former pour après gérer de la meilleure manière qui soit les programmes de lutte contre la maladie du sommeil. Elle a toujours soutenu la recherche contre cette maladie, a mis sur pied nombre de partenariats entre l’IMT et les programmes nationaux. Elle était passionnée par son métier, mais également attentive à ses étudiants, elle nous guidait et nous poussait à nous dépasser, à trouver nous-mêmes des solutions. »

Nos chemins s’étaient initialement croisés à la fin des années 1980 quand elle était responsable médicale puis présidente de Médecins Sans Frontières Belgique. Déjà là, par son engagement à MSF, elle a participé à sensibiliser à la question des maladies négligées et à créer un environnement favorable et nécessaire à la fondation de DNDi. Depuis, Marleen a toujours été impliquée dans nos activités, qu’elle soit membre de notre Comité de Conseil scientifique en tant que représentante de MSF, qu’elle soit active dans nos projets sur la maladie de Chagas en Amérique latine ou qu’elle fasse partie de nos conseillers sur nos projets de maladie du sommeil ou de la leishmaniose.

« Ça a été un réel cadeau pour moi de travailler avec Marleen. Elle m’a énormément appris, elle a d’abord été un mentor pour moi, puis une fidèle amie, » témoigne Dr Suman Rijal, Directeur de DNDi South Asia, à New Delhi. Il a commencé à collaborer avec elle il y a plus de 20 ans à l’Institut de Sciences de la Santé B P Koirala (BPKIHS), au Népal où ils ont ensemble mis en place des stratégies d’élimination de la leishmaniose au Népal. Marleen était très présente sur le terrain, avec une vision très claire pour instaurer des partenariats multiculturels efficaces.

Tout le monde se souviendra de l’intelligence vive et pointue de Marleen, de son enthousiasme, de sa bienveillance, de son courage, de son humilité. Dotée d’un grand sens de l’écoute, disponible pour aider à résoudre les difficultés, elle avait ce don de parvenir à mettre tout le monde d’accord même s’il y avait des divergences, toujours dans le but de faire avancer la cause.

Elle manquera grandement à tous les membres de DNDi qui ont eu la chance de croiser sa route.

Nous sommes en pensée avec sa famille et ses proches.

Photo credit: Albert Picado

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