Dr. Dereje Duguma Gemeda is a leading physician, academic, public health specialist, and minister with over 10 years of experience working across public and private sector organizations. He specialized in public health in Italy and earned valuable experience working as a physician at rural hospitals in Ethiopia.
He was appointed State Minister at the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in March 2020, and was at the forefront of the country’s COVID 19 pandemic response. He is currently leading the efforts to maintain, restore, and strengthen his country’s public health services post-pandemic.
Prior to his appointment as minister, Dr. Gemeda served for six years in various roles at the Oromia Regional Health Bureau, including as Monitoring, Evaluation, and Planning Director; Deputy Regional Bureau Head; and Regional Health Bureau Head. During his tenure at the Oromia Regional Health Bureau, he led the implementation of the Oromia health programmes as part of the National Health Sector Transformation Strategy.
Dr. Gemeda is a passionate advocate of public health interventions and health system reforms. He has received several awards, including a gold medal from Mekelle University during his undergraduate studies, as well as accolades from local and international organizations for his outstanding leadership in the public health sector in Ethiopia.
In addition to his services in government, Dr. Gemeda is also Chair and Board Member of a number of government and private institutions.
