Dereje Negussie Tuijje

I am Dereje Negussie Tuijje currently a facility and director of Obstetrics & Gynecology training program at Lesotho Boston Health Alliance (LeBoHA), consultant obstetrician and gynecologist at Motebanng hospital Leribe, Lesotho, an Adjunct Clinical assistant Professor of Obstetrics and gynecology at McMaster University department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and an assistant Professor of family medicine at Boston University. I am also currently Registrar of the Eastern Central and Southern Africa College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ECSACOG), Chair of the community of practice on SRHR of FIGO-ECSACOG and honorary associate Professor at Yekatit 12 hospital Medical College, Addis Ababa Ethiopia. Previously I was the Principal Investigator for the advocating for self-care in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) project under the Ethiopian Society of Obstetrician and Gynecologists (ESOG). Additionally, I was an associate professor at Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College and consultant at Yerar general hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I was also vice secretary general for ECSACOG from 2017-2024 and Associate Editor-in-Chief of the Ethiopian Journal of Reproductive Health (EJRH), the official journal of the Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

I had a background in leadership and clinical service also, having previously served as Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Service Director at a tertiary referral and teaching hospital, and a Senate member at Jimma University. My contributions to health policies include positions as Senior Clinical Advisor for Engender Health Ethiopia, Program Lead for the USAID-funded RMNCH private health sector project, and Senior Expert Health Adviser to the office of the minister, the Ministry of Health, Ethiopia. Notably, I led the ESOG-American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) collaborative project focused on "Enhancing Residency and Medical Education and quality of service " from 2016 to 2019, establishing Ethiopia’s first ever harmonized residency curriculum in the OBGYN specialty trainings in Ethiopia. My leadership extends to board roles, as had served as President of the executive board of the Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG) for two terms from 204-2028, Executive Board Member and Honorary Treasurer of the African Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AFOG), and Board Member of the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO) representing Ethiopia.

Additionally, He had spearheaded several key projects, including the development of national private-public-Mix implementation guideline for RMNCH services, national integration of family planning services implementation guideline, SGVB emergency response project, a baseline survey on cervical cancer, and evaluations of the Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) projects. I have about 19 publications including original articles which were published on peer-reviewed journals, 10 co-authorship of national training manuals, guidelines, policy brief, protocols and 10 conference abstracts. He had also mentored numerous postgraduate and PhD students in their theses. Throughout my career, I have received multiple accolades, including distinguished service award for my leadership at ESOG and ECSACOG , certificates of merit for his service as V/SG of ECSACOG, for serving as an external examiner for ECSACOG, two-term presidency for ESOG, recognition from IPAS for his long-term contributions to abortion care and reproductive health, and a certificate of appreciation from the Harvard-based Maternal Health Taskforce and the International Institute of Education for his mentoring of emerging leaders in maternal health.