Abdulhafiz Mohammed Kedir

Hafiz is a medical doctor with over nine years of experience working in remote locations and conflict-affected parts of Ethiopia. He has served as a General Practitioner as well as a hospital administrator. He enjoys clinical work, keeping up-to-date with medical research and innovation, and developing strategies to improve patient care. His peers describe him as a people person with a passion for delivering accessible and dignified medical care. Hafiz enjoys physical exercise, reflective conversations, and following up on current affairs in his private time.

What attracted Hafiz to the Rotary Peace Fellowship is his lifelong commitment to services and improving access to medical services for vulnerable populations in resource-limited settings. As one of Rotary's fellowship focus areas, promoting peace through development, Hafiz's experience and interest aligned with Rotary's vision of strengthening resilience, particularly in the face of an epidemic and fragile contexts. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and conflict in his country, it has become more evident that there is a need to improve the preparedness of vulnerable populations and the agility of the healthcare system to effectively respond to transmissible diseases.

Through generous support from Rotary International, Hafiz will undertake his graduate study in Public Health, specializing in Applied Epidemiology at UNC, with joint classes at Duke University in Peace & Conflict resolution. Hafiz aims to focus on robust approaches to epidemiological response in resource-constrained settings by focusing on state-of-the-art data collection and analysis. He looks forward to working with Public Health experts and professionals working on improving the global health system to be more responsive and equitable.