Dr. Mekdes Daba Feyssa is included in Africa Health 20 because she leads one of the continent’s largest and most consequential health systems. An obstetrician-gynecologist and family-planning specialist, she brings both clinical grounding and national policy authority to the role. Appointed Ethiopia’s Minister of Health in February 2024, she sits at the center of decisions that carry weight well beyond one country—across primary care, reproductive health, workforce policy, health security, and system governance. In 2025, that combination of technical expertise and national-scale leverage makes her one of the public leaders helping shape African health in real time.
Influence Areas
National Health Leadership; Reproductive Health; System Governance; Health Security
