Naod Wendrad

• Strategic Leadership: Provide strategic direction for a $63 million USAID-funded project aimed at improving health outcomes through digital health solutions, aligning with Ethiopia’s national health priorities and global health security frameworks.
• Epidemic Preparedness: Led the integration of digital health tools (e.g., EMR, DHIS2, eCHIS) into Ethiopia’s health system to enhance epidemic preparedness and response capabilities.
• Health Financing: Oversaw budget planning and resource allocation, ensuring efficient use of funds and compliance with USAID regulations. Advocated for sustainable financing mechanisms to scale digital health interventions.
• Capacity Building: Designed and delivered training programs for 150+ professionals, enhancing their skills in digital health, data use, and health security.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Built strong relationships with the Ministry of Health (MOH), USAID/Ethiopia, and international partners (e.g.WHO, GAVI and GATES) to ensure alignment with national health strategies and donor expectations.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Oversaw the development of the project’s Performance Management Plan (PMP), using data to inform program adjustments and improve outcomes.

• Health Sector Strategy: Led the revision of Ethiopia’s national health policy and the development of the national health sector strategic plan, focusing on epidemic preparedness, health security, and digital transformation.
• Health Financing: Developed and implemented strategies for sustainable health financing, including grant management, donor coordination, and advocacy for increased domestic budget allocations.
• Multisectoral Coordination: Facilitated collaboration between government agencies, international organizations, and donors to strengthen health governance and accountability systems.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Established a robust M&E framework to track the progress and impact of health programs, ensuring data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Managed large-scale projects, ensuring timely completion within budget constraints.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to drive project success.
• Led cross-functional teams to optimise workflows, eliminate inefficiencies and drive operational excellence.

• Policy Development: Coordinated the development and revision of national health policies, ensuring alignment with global health agendas (e.g., WHO NAPHS toolkit, IHR benchmarks).
• Digital Health Transformation: Spearheaded the digitization of Ethiopia’s health information system (HIS), including implementing HMIS/DHIS2, eCHIS, and EMR to improve data quality and use for real-time decision-making.
• Capacity Building: Designed and implemented national mentorship programs to build capacity in digital health, data use, and health security among health professionals.
• Epidemic Preparedness: Supported the integration of health security frameworks (e.g., JEE, SPAR) into national health systems, improving preparedness and response capabilities.
• Implementation of digitized information systems: From requirement gathering during development to final execution
• Evaluation and Non-routine monitoring system
• Coordinate mid-term and end-term evaluation of HSTP
• Identify and coordinate the implementation of different surveys, research and periodic assessments in collaboration with EPHI, CSA and other stakeholders (Examples: SPA/SARA, EDHS, JRM, etc)

COVID-19 Case Management and Facility Readiness Section Chief

Clinical Service Transformation: Led the nationwide clinical service quality improvement, data collection and utilization for epidemic response and patient safety.

• Quality Improvement: Developed and implemented strategies to improve the quality and safety of clinical services, ensuring compliance with national guidelines and standards.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Built partnerships with international organizations and donors to enhance clinical service delivery and epidemic preparedness.

Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

• Epidemic Response: Led the establishment of isolation facilities and the implementation of IPC programs to manage COVID-19 patients, including ICU care.
• Data Systems: Developed and implemented an electronic data registration and reporting system for COVID-19 case management and facility readiness.
• Multisectoral Coordination: Collaborated with inter-ministerial committees and international partners to ensure coordinated implementation of home-based isolation and care (HBIC).