Hailemichael Desalegn, MD, PhD

Biography

Dr. Hailemichael Desalegn is a Professor and Consultant Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College. He received his medical education and Internal Medicine specialty from Jimma University in Ethiopia. His Gastroenterology fellowship took place at Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences. Dr. Hailemichael obtained a PhD in Tropical and Infectious Diseases, with a focus on simplified treatment criteria and non-invasive fibrosis markers for Hepatitis B Virus infection. He is the co-PI for the Hepatitis B treatment scale-up in Ethiopia, which is the largest cohort in Sub-Saharan Africa, and has played a significant role in the expansion of Hepatitis B treatment through a post-doctoral program at Vestfold Hospital Trust in Norway. He co-founded EtNoHep (Ethio-Norwegian Hepatology Association) and HEPSANET (Hepatitis in Africa Network), aiming to develop simplified Hepatitis B treatment criteria for Africa. Additionally, Dr. Hailemichael is the director of the Sub-Saharan Africa Gastroenterology iECHO clinic, a member of the technical working group, and a guideline developer for Ethiopia's Viral Hepatitis program. He participated in the Guideline Development Groups for the WHO Hepatitis B Guideline, 2024, and was recognized as a Hepatitis Elimination Champion in 2022. He completed an advanced Hepatology Fellowship in clinical research at Western University, Canada, and has recently joined the University of Toronto for a clinical/research Hepatology Program.