People to People Delegates Profile
Enawgaw Mehari, MD
President/Founder
Prof. Enawgaw Mehari has a distinguished reputation for leadership in healthcare, most notably as founder and president of People to People, Inc., which has been in existence for approximately twenty-five years. He is also internationally recognized as an expert in neurology, pain management, and Neuro-AIDs. He earned his medical degree from Comenius University in Czechoslovakia, completed his neurology residency at the University of Kentucky, finished his fellowship in pain management and neurophysiology at Case Western University in Cleveland, and completed a fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis, in Neuro-AIDs. Prof. Enawgaw has published in refereed journals, book chapters, Triangular Partnership the power of the diaspora (book ), Introduction to Clinical Neurology and Manual of Ethiopian Medical History. Dr. Mehari through his p2p leadership has been instrumental in the establishment of Neurology residency program, Emergency Medicine Residency program at Black Lion Hospital, and Social Work Master /PhD program at AAU. In 2005, He founded the People's’ Free Clinic in Morehead, Kentucky, to provide free healthcare for the working poor. In 2006, Dr. Mehari won a distinguished service award from the Society of Ethiopians Established in the Diaspora (SEED), and in 2007, he was nominated as a CNN Hero— awarded by the cable network to everyday people around the globe who have made a major impact in the world. In addition, he was awarded a Humanitarian Award by the Black Hall of Fame, and the 2010 Patient Advocate award by the American Academy of Neurology. He has been granted the highest commendation by the 2 Kentucky Governor’s office, Senate of the State of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He has been commended by the US House of Congress and was awarded the Abebe Bikila Award by Bikila Organization for his working community service. Dr. Mehari is a diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry, a diplomate of Neurology, Inc., and a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties. He is an adjunct Clinical Professor of Neurology at Meharry School of Medicine, PikeVille University, AAU and Bahir Dar University. His other engagements include chairman of the diaspora health care and higher education advisory council, and founding member and board director for both ARTS TV and Arif Pay Financial Institute.
Kebede H. Begna, M.D., Msc.
Executive Vice President
Dr. Kebede H. Begna an associate professor and consultant hematologist, practicing at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He received his medical degree from Gondar University in Ethiopia. He finished internal medicine residency at St. Vincent Medical College, an affiliate of New York Medical College, where he was the Chief Resident. He completed hematology and medical oncology fellowship and obtained master’s in clinical research at the University of Minnesota, and later joined the Mayo Clinic, Division of Hematology in Rochester, Minnesota. He authored and co-authored many publications and book chapter. He was on the board of Ethio-American Doctors Group, Inc. Currently serve as Vice-president of Medical education of P2P, co-director of Global bridges Oncology at the Mayo Clinic.
Lekidelu Tadesse, MD
VP OF ACCREDITATION
Lekidelu Taddesse, MD is an Associate Professor of Pathology and Director of Hematopathology at Howard University College of Medicine and Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC. Dr. Leki is an academic educator, provides pathology diagnostic services and serves in several leadership roles. Dr. Leki’s passion is in education and mentoring and implementing quality systems. Dr. Leki has volunteered in various capacity in Ethiopia. She provided technical assistance to the HIV Laboratory at the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institution (EHNRI) implementing laboratory quality assurance systems. She provided resources for the Department of Pathology, Addis Ababa University School of Medicine. She led Howard University medical students’ global health experience trips to Gondar University Hospital for many years. She provides pathology lectures to medical students and pathology residents and supports pathology diagnostic services through capacity building and consultations to the Department of Pathology at Gondar University. She is currently leading an Accreditation Collaboration Task Force, a joint effort between the key accrediting institutions and medical schools in Ethiopia as part of a triangular partnership fostered by People to People Inc.to provide assistance for accreditation processes of medical schools. Dr. Taddesse-Heath has also published several articles and serves on national committees including Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) as a medical school inspection team member and is a member of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Test Material Development Committee and quality review committees of the National Board of Medicine (NBME). In recognition of her excellence in teaching, compassionate mentorship, and role model, she received over thirty outstanding teaching awards and was the honored faculty by twelve graduating medical classes 4 at Howard University College of Medicine. For her academic achievement and excellence in mentorship, she was inducted to the national Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and the national Gold humanism Honor Society.
Anteneh Habte, M.D.
P2P Board Chair
Dr. Anteneh Habte is the Chairman of People to People’s (P2P) Board of Directors. He is Section Chief in the Geriatrics & Long-Term Care Department at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV and clinical faculty at both the West Virginia School of Medicine and the Lewisburg School of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Anteneh is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and a certified educator of palliative and end-of-life care (EPEC). He coordinates People to People (P2P)’s effort to promote the training of medical personnel and provision of clinical services in hospice and palliative care in Ethiopia. Dr. Anteneh is one of the editors of a series of web-based modules in Hospice and Palliative Care for Ethiopia prepared under the auspices of the Mayo Clinic Global HIV Initiative. He is also a contributor to P2P’s recently published “Triangular. Partnership” manuscript.
Professor Salhadin Abdi (MD, PhD)
Professor Salhadin is Professor and Chairman, Dept of Pain Medicine at The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center and Helen Buchanan & Stanley Joseph Seeger Endowed Research Professor. He is an experienced Department Chairman with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry. Skilled in Healthcare Information Technology (HIT), Clinical Research, Customer Service, Hospitals, and Medicine. Strong healthcare services professional graduated from Harvard Medical School.
Zewdu Terefework, PhD
Country Representative
Dr. Zewdu Terefework Received both his MSc and Ph.D. in Microbiology from the department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology at the University of Helsinki. He also holds a diploma in psychology and received several certificates on genomics in medicine and genomic technologies in clinical diagnostics, genetic testing and genetic counseling. He runs a genetic testing laboratory in Addis Ababa. He is currently an adjunct associate professor at Addis Ababa University School of Laboratory Medicine and teaches at Myunsung Christian Medical College (Korea Hospital). He has published several articles in scientific peer-reviewed journals and authored chapters in books. He is an accomplished Research scientist and educator specializing in microbiology, molecular biology, and genetic testing. His research activities include plant-microbe interaction for sustainable agriculture, molecular fingerprints for the identification of microbes and molecular diagnostics of congenital anomalies & inherited diseases, genetic testing, and counseling. He is an active member of P2P since its inception and run the organization as the country representative in Ethiopia.
Daniel Awraris, MSc
Program Officer
Mr. Daniel has studied for a BA in Sociology and MSc in Project Planning and Management and has more than ten (10) years of commendable experience in managing humanitarian and development work at different levels. Mr. Daniel has great exposure working with the management of Gender and Protection, Care and support, WASH, Institutional Capacity Development, Women Empowerment, and Education in Emergency, Children Protection, SGBV, Youth Empowerment, RH and HIV, Non-Formal Education, Regional Integration, Rural Youth Livelihood Development targeted projects, Reform Program and Project Execution and Business Development and Regulation sector.