Hi, I’m
Adamu Zerihun Gelaw
Public Health Specialist
Addis Ababa,AA
Summary
Dynamic public health professional with extensive experience at WHO, excelling in immunization program design and outbreak investigation. Proven track record in enhancing disease surveillance systems and building local capacity. Adept at strategic planning and stakeholder coordination, driving impactful initiatives that improve health outcomes and community engagement in vaccine-preventable disease control.
Overview
20
years of professional experience
Work History
WHOAddis Ababa
National COVAX Immunization and VPD surveillance officer
03.2021 - Current
Job overview
- Led technical support for VPD surveillance strengthening, including development and adaptation of monitoring frameworks for measles, polio, and other priority diseases.
- Developed a Measles seroprevalence survey protocol and coordinated the implementation of the survey process at the national level in collaboration with the EPHI VPD team.
- Engaged in Post Measles Post Campaign coverage survey activities as part of the WHO technical team for the last two rounds.
- Provided strategic guidance for national and regional SIAs (Polio, Measles, HPV, COVID-19), ensuring high-quality planning, implementation, and post-campaign evaluations.
- Supported routine immunization improvement initiatives, mentoring regional teams on micro-planning, coverage monitoring, and integration of surveillance data for decision-making.
- Actively engaged in national-level coordination platforms, including the COVAX ICC and technical working groups, to align immunization and surveillance strategies.
- Assisted regions in establishing technical working groups for service delivery, vaccine logistics, and surveillance, strengthening local capacity for outbreak detection and response.
- Contributed to the development of strategic immunization guidelines, including the Immunization Implementation Plan (IIP), new vaccine introduction protocols, and SIA operational guidelines.
- Provided targeted technical support to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for COVID-19 and other health emergencies, ensuring integration with VPD surveillance systems.
McKingAddis Ababa
Independent National Consultant
08.2020 - 12.2020
Job overview
- Provided comprehensive technical support for polio outbreak response, prioritizing health system resilience and sustainability in high-risk areas.
- Enhanced routine immunization (RI) coverage through targeted strategies that improved vaccine distribution, access, and equity.
- Strengthened VPD surveillance systems by introducing innovative data management techniques, ensuring timely and accurate case reporting and analysis.
- Executed integrated active case searches and facilitated robust coordination among stakeholders, supporting joint monitoring and rapid response effectiveness.
- Actively participated in daily and weekly technical meetings with zonal management teams to address operational challenges and optimize campaign performance.
- Led capacity-building initiatives, mentoring local health workers on the four pillars: Strengthening routine immunization, Enhancing surveillance, Ensuring quality SIAs, and Effective mop-up operations.
- Implemented proactive planning for early SIAs, coupled with rigorous monitoring and adaptive strategies to maximize campaign impact.
- Ensured rapid investigation of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases, engaging communities to promote awareness and participation in immunization efforts.
International Medical Corps (IMC)Addis Ababa
Epidemiologist
02.2020 - 07.2020
Job overview
- Strengthened disease surveillance systems by integrating innovative data management tools and ensuring timely, accurate reporting for outbreak detection and response.
- Supported routine immunization improvement through technical guidance on planning, monitoring, and evaluation of immunization activities within emergency health programs.
- Mobilized emergency funding, successfully securing €2.5 million for COVID-19 response and resilience-building initiatives.
- Provided technical leadership in planning, implementation, and monitoring of emergency health interventions, ensuring alignment with international standards and protocols.
- Represented IMC in high-level consultative meetings with WHO Health Cluster, EPHI, and Emergency Operations Center (EOC), fostering collaboration on surveillance and immunization strategies.
- Led capacity-building and mentorship programs for health coordinators and supervisors, focusing on outbreak preparedness, surveillance, and immunization best practices.
- Actively participated in health cluster coordination meetings, driving joint planning and rapid response to emerging public health threats.
RTI InternationalAddis Ababa
Deputy Chief of Party
07.2017 - 06.2019
Job overview
- Strengthened disease surveillance and immunization systems by integrating NTD and malaria control programs with national health strategies, ensuring alignment with broader public health priorities.
- Led planning and coordination of large-scale campaigns, applying lessons from VPD SIAs to improve coverage, monitoring, and community engagement in disease prevention efforts.
- Provided technical support and capacity building to four sub-grantees, focusing on surveillance data quality, campaign planning, and operational compliance.
- Organized and facilitated regional coordination meetings and stakeholder consultations, fostering collaboration for integrated disease control and immunization strengthening.
- Developed project plans and coordinated surveys, applying epidemiological principles to assess program effectiveness and inform strategic adjustments.
- Played a key role in creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for NTD supply chain management, improving operational efficiency and resilience.
- Actively engaged with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and regional health bureaus to strengthen partnerships and ensure sustainability of surveillance and immunization interventions.
AFENET/CDCNairobi
START Training Consultant
04.2016 - 12.2016
Job overview
- Provided technical assistance for strengthening routine immunization and VPD surveillance hand-in-hand, delivering targeted training sessions that enhanced the skills of 472 health care workers (HCWs) on immunization best practices and case-based surveillance.
- Conducted comprehensive reviews of immunization and surveillance indicators, identifying gaps and delivering actionable feedback to improve RI performance and VPD detection.
- Built capacity of county and sub-county EPI coordinators and health workers, empowering them with integrated approaches for effective RI and surveillance strengthening.
- Successfully mobilized 1 million KSH to support decentralized training sessions, expanding reach and impact of RI and surveillance capacity-building efforts.
- Designed and implemented community engagement strategies to boost awareness and participation in immunization programs while promoting early reporting of suspected VPD cases.
- Established defaulter tracing mechanisms to identify and follow up on missed vaccinations, reducing immunity gaps and improving surveillance sensitivity.
- Ensured adoption of the Reaching Every District (RED) strategy across all health facilities, applying prioritization techniques for efficient RI and surveillance resource allocation.
- Organized and facilitated national-level workshops and debriefings, promoting collaboration and sharing best practices in integrated RI and VPD surveillance strengthening.
WHONigeria
STOP Consultant
02.2014 - 12.2015
Job overview
- Led polio eradication and VPD surveillance strengthening initiatives, ensuring effective outbreak investigation, case detection, and rapid response in high-risk areas.
- Organized and coordinated biweekly Directly Observed Polio Campaigns (DOPC), improving campaign quality through enhanced training for vaccinators and surveillance officers.
- Provided capacity building and mentorship for NEPI coordinators and surveillance officers, focusing on integrated strategies for routine immunization (RI), AFP surveillance, and SIAs.
- Oversaw budget utilization and resource optimization, ensuring efficient implementation of surveillance and immunization activities.
- Mapped hard-to-reach and underserved areas, using surveillance data to guide targeted interventions and improve vaccination coverage.
- Advocated for joint supportive supervision with government officials and traditional leaders, strengthening community engagement in surveillance and immunization efforts.
- Enhanced cross-border VPD surveillance by establishing task forces for immunization and case reporting, fostering regional collaboration for outbreak prevention.
- Conducted routine immunization and surveillance performance reviews, sharing data with stakeholders to inform evidence-based decision-making.
- Promoted community engagement strategies to increase awareness of AFP case reporting and routine immunization, building trust and improving coverage.
MSF-HollandAddis Ababa
Deputy Director (AHOM)
07.2012 - 01.2014
Job overview
- Strengthened cross-border health surveillance and preparedness, designing and implementing advocacy strategies for Somalia region and neighboring areas to improve early detection and response to VPDs.
- Coordinated annual plans, project proposals, and budgets with a focus on integrating disease surveillance and immunization activities into emergency health strategies.
- Enhanced collaboration with government agencies and partners, fostering joint initiatives for VPD surveillance and outbreak preparedness across borders.
- Led emergency exploratory missions to assess surveillance gaps and immunization needs in high-risk and hard-to-reach areas, informing targeted interventions.
- Represented MSF in health cluster and technical working group meetings, advocating for stronger surveillance systems and cross-border coordination for VPD control.
- Supported field projects and operational teams, ensuring alignment with surveillance priorities and immunization objectives during emergencies.
- Facilitated monthly strategic review meetings with the Country Director, integrating surveillance and immunization goals into broader humanitarian health plans.
- Actively engaged in biannual and annual planning sessions, embedding VPD surveillance and cross-border collaboration into long-term resilience strategies.
MSF-HLiban Emergency
Assistant Medical Coordinator & Medical Team Leader
03.2012 - 07.2012
Job overview
- Led emergency health operations with integrated VPD surveillance and outbreak response, ensuring timely detection and reporting of suspected cases alongside routine immunization activities.
- Conducted continuous health assessments, developing strategies for outbreak investigation and preparedness, including cross-border coordination for polio and measles surveillance.
- Facilitated cross-border collaboration with Somalia health authorities and humanitarian partners to strengthen surveillance networks and harmonize immunization efforts.
- Established and managed referral systems, ensuring continuity of care while maintaining surveillance reporting for priority diseases.
- Directed emergency health care activities at the health center, integrating AFP case detection and routine immunization strengthening into service delivery.
- Assumed full responsibility as Medical Coordinator in the absence of expatriate staff, overseeing surveillance, immunization, and emergency response operations for two months.
MSF-HollandAbdurafi Project
Project Coordinator
01.2011 - 02.2012
Job overview
- Developed annual and biannual project plans incorporating integrated strategies for Kala Azar treatment, malnutrition management, HIV/AIDS coinfection care, and VPD surveillance with routine immunization strengthening.
- Strengthened monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track disease trends, immunization coverage, and nutrition indicators, enabling timely outbreak detection and response.
- Coordinated emergency responses and surveillance activities, including active case searches for Kala Azar and AFP, measles monitoring, and household nutrition surveys to inform targeted interventions.
- Enhanced security management protocols to ensure safe delivery of health services and uninterrupted surveillance and immunization operations in high-risk areas.
- Mobilized resources effectively to support integrated health activities, including immunization campaigns, Kala Azar treatment, and nutrition programs.
- Cultivated strong networking relationships with government agencies, NGOs, military forces, and local communities, promoting collaboration for cross-border VPD surveillance and integrated disease control.
- Advanced advocacy initiatives to raise awareness on Kala Azar, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS coinfection, and VPD prevention, securing stakeholder support for integrated health interventions.
- Led household nutrition surveys to assess malnutrition prevalence and inform program adjustments, while aligning findings with immunization and surveillance priorities.
MSF-HollandAbdurafi Project
Outreach Coordinator
09.2009 - 12.2010
Job overview
- Coordinated and executed outbreak investigations and responses for malaria, measles, kala-azar, and hemorrhagic fever, integrating VPD surveillance and immunization strengthening into emergency health interventions.
- Conducted a comprehensive household survey of 304 households, assessing nutrition and health indicators to inform targeted interventions and improve surveillance sensitivity.
- Advocated for inclusion of malaria drug supply and nutrition therapy in health programs, aligning efforts with immunization and disease surveillance priorities.
- Led emergency mission explorations and malnutrition surveys, identifying high-risk areas and integrating findings into outbreak preparedness and immunization planning.
- Developed behavioral change communication manuals to promote healthy practices, disease prevention, and community engagement in immunization and surveillance activities.
- Actively participated in emergency response initiatives and advocacy efforts, strengthening cross-border collaboration and community trust for VPD reporting and vaccination uptake.
Education
AIUUSA
Doctor of Science (PH D)
01.2019
University of GondarEthiopia
Master of Public Health (MPH)
01.2009
Skills
- Event-based surveillance and outbreak investigation
- Immunization program design
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Ethical research practices
- Emergency preparedness and response
- Stakeholder coordination
- Capacity building
- Disease surveillance
- Immunization strategies
- Health systems strengthening
- Crisis management
- Problem solving
- Strategic planning
- Analytical thinking
- Emergency preparedness
- Vaccine-preventable diseases
- Infectious disease control
- Epidemiological analysis
- Healthcare systems management
- Qualitative research
- Global health issues
- Presentation skills
- Problem-solving
- Training coordination
References
- Dr Abayneh Girma, WHO Senior Technical Immunization Officer, 0911367068, demissea@who.int
- Mikyas Alayu, Ethiopia Public Health Institute, VPD surveillance Lead, 0921746100, mikiasalayu@ephi.gov.et
- George Momanyi, AFENET/CDC – Regional Surveillance Coordinator (Kenya), +254 708 878683, momanyigo@gmail.com
Papers Reviewed
- Effects of Climate Change on Child Health in Africa, Diep L, Godfrey S, Tunhuma F, et al., Nature Climate Change, 10.1038/s41558-024-02197-7
- Human Mobility Data for Measles Modeling in Zambia, Kostandova N, Prosperi C, Mutembo S, et al., PLOS Glob Public Health, 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003906
- Reliable Data for Child Health in Humanitarian Settings, Kadir A, Stevens AJ, Wise PH, Muloiwa R., PLOS Glob Public Health, 10.1371/journal.pgph.0004231
Research Papers
- Household Food Security in Gondar, 2009
- Nutrition and Mental Health Pathophysiology, 2016
- Historical Cycles and Global Consciousness, 2018
- Sustainable Social Enterprises in Developing Countries, 2019
- Human Consciousness and Universal Connectivity, 2018
- Factors associated with Non-and incomplete vaccination among children aged 12-23 months in Gindher District, South East Ethiopia
Timeline
National COVAX Immunization and VPD surveillance officer
WHO
03.2021 - Current
Independent National Consultant
McKing
08.2020 - 12.2020
Epidemiologist
International Medical Corps (IMC)
02.2020 - 07.2020
Deputy Chief of Party
RTI International
07.2017 - 06.2019
START Training Consultant
AFENET/CDC
04.2016 - 12.2016
STOP Consultant
WHO
02.2014 - 12.2015
Deputy Director (AHOM)
MSF-Holland
07.2012 - 01.2014
Assistant Medical Coordinator & Medical Team Leader
MSF-H
03.2012 - 07.2012
Project Coordinator
MSF-Holland
01.2011 - 02.2012
Outreach Coordinator
MSF-Holland
09.2009 - 12.2010
AIU
Doctor of Science (PH D)
University of Gondar
Master of Public Health (MPH)