Ph.D. candidate, Research Assistant
BSC, MPH
Temesgen Akalu is an infectious disease and spatial epidemiologist with a research interest that employs advanced epidemiological and statistical analysis. Currently, he is a Ph.D. student at Curtin University and a research assistant at Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Australia. His research mainly focuses on the long-term sequelae of patients with multidrug and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in Ethiopia and China. His research interests include forecasting, mapping, and designing effective strategies to tackle infectious and neglected tropical diseases in high-burden countries such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific region.
Temesgen is a member of the GeoTB team and continues to work on infectious diseases in high-burden countries. Before his Ph.D., Temesgen was a lecturer and researcher at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia, with the rank of assistant professor.
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Publications
March 2024
Impacts of armed conflicts on tuberculosis burden and treatment outcomes: a systematic review
This systematic review aimed to summarise existing literature on the impacts of armed conflicts on tuberculosis burden and treatment outcomes.
Published research Infectious Diseases Geospatial and Tuberculosis TuberculosisFebruary 2024Determinants of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Hunan province, China: a case-control study
Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a major public health threat in Hunan Province, with an increasing clinical burden in recent years. This study aimed to identify socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with DR-TB in Hunan province, China.
Published research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Geospatial and Tuberculosis TuberculosisFebruary 2024Risk factors for diagnosis and treatment delay among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Hunan Province, China
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a global health threat associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Diagnosis and treatment delays are associated with poor treatment outcomes in patients with MDR-TB. However, the risk factors associated with these delays are not robustly investigated, particularly in high TB burden countries such as China.
Published research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Geospatial and Tuberculosis TuberculosisJanuary 2024Burden of drug-resistant tuberculosis among contacts of index cases: A protocol for a systematic review
People having close contact with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) patients are at increased risk of contracting and developing the disease. However, no comprehensive review has been undertaken to estimate the burden of DR-TB among contacts of DR-TB patients. Therefore, the current systematic review will quantify the prevalence and incidence of DR-TB among contacts of DR-TB patients.
Published research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Geospatial and Tuberculosis TuberculosisOctober 2023Population-Modifiable Risk Factors Associated With Childhood Stunting in Sub-Saharan Africa
Identifying modifiable risk factors associated with childhood stunting in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is imperative for the development of evidence-based interventions and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The objective was to evaluate key modifiable risk factors associated with childhood stunting in SSA.
Published research Early Childhood Development Geospatial and TuberculosisMay 2023Prognostication of treatment non-compliance among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the course of their follow-up: a logistic regression–based machine learning algorithm
Drug compliance is the act of taking medication on schedule or taking medication as prescribed and obeying other medical instructions. It is the most crucial aspect in the treatment of chronic diseases particularly for patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Drug non-compliance is the main reason for causing drug resistance and poor treatment outcomes.
Published research Infectious Diseases Geospatial and Tuberculosis -
Education and Qualifications
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Awards/Honours