Dr. Asmamaw Atnafu Ayalneh is an Associate Professor of Health Systems and Policy at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia, with over a decade of experience in academia, research, and health administration. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Health with a major in Health Care Management and Policy from Seoul National University, South Korea. His expertise is centered on healthcare financing, health systems strengthening, implementation science, and health policy.

Key Areas of Expertise:

• Healthcare Financing: He is a specialist in health insurance (community-based and social health insurance), healthcare financing modeling, and economic evaluation. He is currently a Healthcare Financing Specialist Consultant for the Fenot Project at the Harvard School of Public Health.
• Health Systems Strengthening: His work involves evaluating primary health care systems, improving health data quality and use, and building capacity through mentorship programs. He leads several projects focused on post-war recovery of health services and non-communicable disease management.
• Implementation Science: Dr. Atnafu leads multiple implementation science research projects, investigating the effectiveness of interventions like performance-based incentives and multi-component health worker programs.
• Academic Leadership: He has served in various leadership roles at the University of Gondar, including Chief Academic Director and Academic Dean, and currently supervises several Ph.D. and Master’s students in health systems and policy.

Notable Achievements & Activities:

• He has an extensive publication record in peer-reviewed journals on topics such as health insurance, maternal and child health, health equity, and data quality.
• He is a member of the National Technical Working Group on Healthcare Financing for the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and the Vice President of the Ethiopian Health Economics and Policy Association.
• He has international experience, including a Ph.D. in South Korea and specialized training at Harvard University, and has collaborated on projects with organizations like the Korean Foundation for International Health (KOFIH) and Vital Strategies.
• He founded the Health System and Health Care Financing Research and Training Center at the University of Gondar.