Honorary Research Fellow Team member
BSc, MPH, PhD
Dr Kefyalew Alene is a spatial epidemiologist working on infectious diseases including tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries. He is currently a Research Fellow at Curtin University, with joint appointments as Honorary Research Fellow Team Member at the Telethon Kids Institute, Australia. He is a recipient of the 2020 Emerging Leadership Investigator Grant from the Australia National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). His research project focus on designing an innovative approach for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public health interventions to help control and ultimately eliminate tuberculosis in high-burden countries.
He was a visiting Research Fellow at the Australian National University, and an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia. He received his PhD from the Australian National University in 2019. His PhD research focussed on the spatial epidemiology of tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Ethiopia and China.
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Publications
February 2021
Improving Influenza Vaccination in Children With Comorbidities: A Systematic Review
Children with medical comorbidities are at greater risk for severe influenza and poorer clinical outcomes. Despite recommendations and funding, influenza vaccine coverage remains inadequate in these children. We aimed to systematically review literature assessing interventions targeting influenza vaccine coverage in children with comorbidities and assess the impact on influenza vaccine coverage.
Published research Immunisation Influenza Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Geospatial Health and DevelopmentFebruary 2021Risk factors for COVID-19 infection, disease severity and related deaths in Africa: A systematic review
The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive evidence on risk factors for transmission, disease severity and COVID-19 related deaths in Africa. A systematic review has been conducted to synthesise existing evidence on risk factors affecting COVID-19 outcomes across Africa.
Published research Child Epidemiology Geospatial Health and DevelopmentFebruary 2021COVID-19 in Ethiopia: A geospatial analysis of vulnerability to infection, case severity and death
COVID-19 has caused a global public health crisis affecting most countries, including Ethiopia, in various ways. This study maps the vulnerability to infection, case severity and likelihood of death from COVID-19 in Ethiopia. Thirty-eight potential indicators of vulnerability to COVID-19 infection, case severity and likelihood of death, identified based on a literature review and the availability of nationally representative data at a low geographic scale, were assembled from multiple sources for geospatial analysis. Geospatial analysis techniques were applied to produce maps showing the vulnerability to infection, case severity and likelihood of death in Ethiopia at a spatial resolution of 1 km×1 km.
Published research Infectious Diseases Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Geospatial Health and DevelopmentMarch 2021Improving Influenza Vaccination in Children With Comorbidities: A Systematic Review
Children with medical comorbidities are at greater risk for severe influenza and poorer clinical outcomes. Despite recommendations and funding, influenza vaccine coverage remains inadequate in these children. We aimed to systematically review literature assessing interventions targeting influenza vaccine coverage in children with comorbidities and assess the impact on influenza vaccine coverage.
Published research Influenza Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Geospatial Health and DevelopmentApril 2021Spatial clustering of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Hunan province, China: an ecological study
This study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in Hunan province, China. An ecological study was conducted using DR-TB data collected from the Tuberculosis Control Institute of Hunan Province between 2012 and 2018.
Published research Infectious Diseases Geospatial Health and DevelopmentJune 2021Spatiotemporal patterns of tuberculosis in Hunan province, China
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from a bacterial pathogen worldwide. China has the third highest TB burden in the world, with a high reported burden in Hunan Province (amongst others). This study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of TB and identify socioeconomic, demographic, and environmental drivers in Hunan Province, China. Numbers of reported cases of TB were obtained from the Tuberculosis Control Institute of Hunan Province, China.
Published research Infectious Diseases Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesJuly 2021The prevalence of tuberculosis, malaria and soil-transmitted helminth infection in minority indigenous people of Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), malaria and soil-transmitted helminthiasis continue to impose a significant global health burden and socio-economic impact. Globally, minority indigenous people are disproportionately affected by poverty and are shown to experience a disparate burden of disease and poorer health outcomes than the comparative majority population.
Published research Infectious Diseases Geospatial Health and DevelopmentSeptember 2021Tuberculosis related disability: a systematic review and meta-analysis
The sustainable development goals aim to improve health for all by 2030. They incorporate ambitious goals regarding tuberculosis (TB), which may be a significant cause of disability, yet to be quantified. Therefore, we aimed to quantify the prevalence and types of TB-related disabilities.
Published research Infectious Diseases Geospatial Health and DevelopmentNovember 2021The prevalence of soil transmitted helminth infections in minority indigenous populations of south-east asia and the western pacific region: A systematic review and meta-analysis
By mapping land use under projections of socio-economic change, ecological changes can be predicted to inform conservation decision-making. We present a land use model that enables the fine-scale mapping of land use change under future scenarios.
Published research Geospatial Health and DevelopmentDecember 2021The prevalence of tuberculosis and malaria in minority indigenous populations of South- East Asia and the Western Pacific Region: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Infectious diseases have been shown to disproportionately affect indigenous populations. Tuberculosis (TB) and malaria continue to impose a significant burden on humanity and are among the infectious diseases targeted within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Published research Infectious Diseases P4 Respiratory Health for Kids Geospatial Health and DevelopmentDecember 2021The COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare systems in Africa: A scoping review of preparedness, impact and response
The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed health systems in both developed and developing nations alike. Africa has one of the weakest health systems globally, but there is limited evidence on how the region is prepared for, impacted by and responded to the pandemic.
Published research Geospatial Health and Development COVID-19December 2020Poor treatment outcomes of children on highly active antiretroviral therapy: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
While access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for children with HIV has expanded and the use of HAART has substantially reduced the morbidity and mortality of children due to HIV, poor treatment outcomes among children with HIV are still a major public health problem globally. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to quantify treatment outcomes among children with HIV.
Published research Infectious Diseases Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesOctober 2020Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a major global public health concern. However, there is a dearth of literature on whether MDR-TB and its medications impact maternal and perinatal outcomes, and when such evidence exists the findings are conflicting. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the impact of MDR-TB and its medications during pregnancy on maternal and perinatal outcomes.
Published research Infectious Diseases Geospatial Health and DevelopmentJanuary 2022Global distribution of human hookworm species and differences in their morbidity effects: a systematic review
The global distribution and morbidity effects for each specific hookworm species is unknown, which prevents implementation of the optimum intervention for local hookworm control.
Published research P4 Respiratory Health for Kids Geospatial Health and Development -
Education and Qualifications