Desalegn Tadese Mengistu

I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Mekelle University in northern Ethiopia, currently nearing the completion of my doctoral research. My academic background is in clinical laboratory science, and I hold a Master’s degree with a focus on the sero-epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis. My current research interests on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), with a particular emphasis on the social, behavioral, and cultural determinants that influence the transmission, treatment, and control of cutaneous leishmaniasis in marginalized communities.

As part of the ECLIPSE-funded project, I have adopted a bio-psychosocial framework to examine how traditional beliefs, healing practices, psycho-social factors, and economic barriers shape disease outcomes and health behaviors. Using ethnographic methods, field and facility surveys, focus group discussions, and laboratory analyses, I have worked in close collaboration with local health workers and public health authorities to explore the complex interactions between culture and health. These experiences have deepened my understanding of how factors such as stigma, delayed care-seeking, self-medication, and mistrust in formal healthcare systems contribute to persistent health inequities and even treatment failure, including drug resistance.

Through this work, I have come to strongly believe in the importance of culturally responsive and community-informed health interventions. My engagement with the ECLIPSE project has not only enhanced my research capacity but also broadened my perspective beyond biomedical paradigms, encouraging a more holistic and community-centered approach to improving health outcomes in low-resource settings.

I am particularly drawn to CHaI’s interdisciplinary and collaborative mission. I see it as a unique platform to engage with researchers working at the intersection of anthropology, sociology, public health, and applied health research. I hope to contribute my microbiological and public health expertise while learning from others who explore the cultural and structural dimensions of health. My goal is to co-create strategies that are not only evidence-based but also culturally grounded and socially justice.

Email: desalegnt45@gmail.com or desalegn.tadesse@mu.edu.et 

Affiliation: Mekelle University, Ethiopia