Biography:

Temesgen Kabeta Chala is a lecturer in Health Economics at Jimma University and currently a PhD fellow in Medical Research, International Health program at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany. He earned his BSc in Medical Laboratory Technology from Jimma University in 2012, followed by an MPH in Health Economics from the same institution in 2018. He has obtained certificates from short trainings and experience sharing in India, South Korea, South Africa, Norway, Kenya, and Somaliland. Mr. Chala has served as director for laboratory service at Jimma University Medical Center, acting director for supply and property administration, acting chief academic and research officer at Jimma University Institute of Health, and Incident manager for the Jimma Emergency Operation Center established for managing Covid-19. He contributes to national health policy issues, including the preparation of roadmaps for national health care financing, development of national health accounts, and serving on technical advisory teams. His research focuses on academic mobility, capacity building, and the bio-psycho-social impacts of infectious diseases such as leprosy. He has been awarded 4 grants as Principal Investigator and Co-investigator and has published over 8 scientific articles in peer-reviewed international journals, including this PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases publication (February 2026).