Demis Kebede Yemane

Dynamic Public Health Specialist with over 8 years of experience in controlling Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), program management, and capacity building. Proven success in leading large-scale disease elimination initiatives in collaboration with WHO, FMOH, and various NGOs. Expertise in data-driven decision-making using tools such as Power BI and SPSS, along with a strong ability to foster stakeholder collaboration and effectively train health workers. Notable achievements include the successful elimination of trachoma in three woredas and reducing LF transmission to less than 1%, driven by a commitment to advancing universal health coverage through impactful, scalable interventions.

• Assisted Gambella’s NTD elimination efforts, achieving Trachoma elimination in 3 woredas (250,000+ beneficiaries).
• Onchocerciasis transmission suppressed in 1 woreda and reduced in 6 others.
• LF transmission is below 1% in five woredas of the region; therefore, LF mass drug administration has been discontinued in the area.
• SCH & STH prevalence decline, enabling scaled-down MDA to kebele level.
• Spearheaded 3,100+ trichiasis surgeries and 73 hydrocele cases cleared surgically.
• Boosted HIV testing capacity by 1,000% (120→1,250 tests/month) via lab network expansion.

Regional NTDs Technical Advisor, RTI International – Act to End NTDs | East Program (2020 – 2024)

• Contributed to USAID’s Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases | East program, supporting Ethiopia’s national NTD strategy to achieve WHO targets through cost-effective, evidence-based interventions.
• Worked within a global consortium led by RTI International alongside The Carter Center, Fred Hollows Foundation, Light for the World, Results for Development, Save the Children, Sightsavers, and WI-HER.
• Provided technical support in one of Ethiopia’s four targeted regions (Oromia, Tigray, Benishangul-Gumuz, and Gambella), focusing on trachoma elimination in collaboration with the Gambella Regional Health Bureau.
• Led and supported trachoma elimination efforts in Gambella over a 5-year period, strengthening surveillance, expanding treatment coverage, and fostering sustainable integration into the regional health system.
• Supported program continuation during a three-year USAID extension (to June 2026) and contributed to close-out activities following the program’s global termination due to USAID structural changes.

Regional NTDs Technical Advisor, RTI International – ENVISION Project (2016–2020)

• Joined RTI International under the USAID-funded ENVISION program, a global flagship initiative combating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in 19 endemic countries, including Ethiopia.
• Provided technical assistance to the Gambella Regional Health Bureau, strengthening national and regional NTD programs, expanding treatment coverage, and enhancing monitoring systems.
• Continued service through the program’s transition to Act to End NTDs | East in 2019–2020, ensuring smooth program transformation and sustained progress.