Anteneh Asefa

Anteneh Asefa is a global health researcher affiliated with the University of Antwerp's Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITG), focusing on maternal health, health systems strengthening, and implementation science. He holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne's Nossal Institute for Global Health, where his doctoral work examined health system constraints to respectful maternity care in Ethiopian hospitals. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor and Lecturer in Ethiopian universities and at the University of Melbourne.

His education includes an MPH from Addis Ababa University and a PhD from the University of Melbourne. His research interests span maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, health policy, and the integration of mental health into maternal care systems. He has conducted groundbreaking work on postpartum depression linked to childbirth mistreatment and led global studies on maternal health during the pandemic.

Key projects include the MISPOD study investigating mistreatment and postpartum depression in Ethiopia and Guinea, and a WHO-funded study on kangaroo mother care implementation in Ethiopia. His work has been published in high-impact journals like Scientific Reports and Journal of Global Health.

Dr. Asefa has received prestigious awards including the Mandela Washington Fellowship and Maternal Health Young Champions recognition. He currently leads research initiatives addressing healthcare equity, data systems strengthening, and pandemic-resilient healthcare systems in low-resource settings.