Maria Madalena is Mozambique’s PRECISE star this month. Madalena is an experienced nurse working in Manhiça since 2005. She has an important role in PRECISE, she is responsible for the recruitment of women of reproductive age (WRA) and of performing the 42-days post-partum visits.

She proudly told us that during the past 15 years, her routine to prepare for the working day has been the same. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic she had to make some changes to protect participants, herself, her family.

“During the last 15 years working in Manhiça, I have established a routine to prepare myself at home for work. As I live near the Hospital I usually leave home wearing my uniform and at the end of the day return home with the same clothes. However since the pandemic started, I changed completely my old behaviour. Now I leave home wearing normal clothes and a cloth or surgical mask. When I arrive at the hospital I change my clothes and mask and wear the uniform with the adequate PPE. At the end of the day, I disinfect myself and my personal items, change back into my clothes and wear a mask.”

Madalena pointed out that her main concern is the health and safety of her family.

“Everyday when I arrive home, I make sure that I don’t have contact with any family member before the safety procedures. As soon as I get home, I go directly to the bathroom located outside of the house where I disinfect my personal items, such as telephone, I take a shower and change my clothes”

Madalena also pointed out her concern with her own health, as she is the oldest nurse working in PRECISE in Manhiça, and her age is close to the risk group for COVID-19 infection.

“Compared to other colleges working in the Hospital who are younger than me, I have to be more careful and obey all the rules and procedures to prevent getting infected because I am not young any more, and we know that older people have more risk of acquiring this infection.”