7th RH Conference Schedule
This is the schedule for the conference day events that will take place at the 7th annual reproductive health conference with the theme of “Reproductive Health Services in the Era of Digital Health, Artificial Intelligence and Demographic Transition”
Day 1 – Thursday November 12, 2026
08:30 - 9:00 am
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Registration
By the Organizing Committee
09:00-9:05am
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Welcome note & Opening remark
Prof. Delayehu Bekele; Director, SPIRHR
09:05-9:30am
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Keynote Speech and Official Opening
Dr. Muluken Tesfaye; Provost, SPHMMC
Dr. Worku Gachena (Director General, Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute)
Dr. Abebe Shibru (Country director, MSI Ethiopia)
Dr. Demeke Desta (Country director, Ipas Ethiopia)
H.E. Firehiwot Abebe (State Minister, MoH)
09:30 -10:30am
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Panel Discussion I: Digital Health & AI in Reproductive Health
Panelists:
Prof. Biniyam Tilahun (Univ. of Gondar, Center for Digital Health and Implementation Sciences (CDHI)) – Health Informatics Academic)
Dr. Bethel Dereje WeCare Digital Health Tool Creator and Academician at SPHMMC
Gemechis Melkamu (Digital Health Lead Executive Officer, FMOH)
Prof. Yaregal Assabie (Prof. of AI, Department of Computer Science, AAU)
Moderator: Dr Malede Birara (SPHMMC)
10:30am
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Group Picture
By the organizing committe
10:30 - 11:00am
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Break and Poster presentation
Poster presentations
- Quality of family planning counselling and its determinants in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Time to Modern Post-Partum Family Planning Uptake and Its Predictors among Mothers in Ethiopia Evidence from Performance Monitoring for Action Cohort II 2021-2023 Using a Bayesian Survival Analysis approach.
- Predictive modeling of modern contraceptive discontinuation among Ethiopian women
- Common mental disorders following abortion among women of reproductive age in Addis Ababa health institutions, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional study
- Challenges in reaching timely data-driven childbirth care in Eastern Ethiopia: a mixed-method study into partograph use
- Factors associated with sale of medication abortion drugs without a prescription in pharmacies and drugstores in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Findings from a mystery client study
11:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
ROOM A: Oral Presentation – Family Planning Research
Moderator: Dr. Birtukan Asmare, Dr. Yemisrach Mulugeta
11:10 AM - 01:00 PM
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
ROOM B: Oral Presentation – Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)
Moderators: Dr. Ayalnesh Zemene, Dr. Hanna Legesse
01:00 - 02:00 PM
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
LUNCH & Networking
02:00 - 03:30 pm
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
ROOM A: Oral Presentation – Comprehensive Abortion Care
Moderators: Dr. Demsash Hailu, Mrs. Hanna Feleke
02:00 - 03:30 pm
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
ROOM B: Oral Presentation – Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
Moderators: Mr. Simegnew Handebo, Dr. Najima Awadh
02:00 - 2:15pm
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Barriers to Safe Abortion Care among Internally-Displaced-Persons in Ethiopia: Mixed-Method Research Using Social Ecological Model
Presenter: Dr. Samrawit Solomon
Moderators: Dr Gizachew Balew/ Dr Hana Teklu
3:30- 4:00am
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Break and Poster presentation
Poster presentations
- Women’s and Girls’ Sexual Empowerment and Associated Factors in Ethiopia: Structural Equation Modelling from Performance Monitoring for Action Data
- Sexual and Reproductive Health Service Utilization and Associated Factors Among Young People with Disabilities in Ethiopia: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
- Integrated School-Community Approaches to Strengthening Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Guba Koricha District, Oromia, Ethiopia
- Exploring machine learning algorithms to predict not using modern family planning methods among reproductive age women in East Africa
- Mapping evidence on artificial intelligence (AI) technologies used in ultrasound-based monitoring progress of labour: a scoping review
- A Stacking Machine Learning Approach to Identify Healthcare Access Barriers among Reproductive Age Women in East Africa: Evidence from Recent DHS.
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
State-of-the-art art lecture: Reproductive Health in the Era of Demographic Transition: Opportunities and challenges (የስነ-ተዋልዶ ጤና በስነ-ህዝባዊ ሽግግር ዘመን፡ እድሎች እና ተግዳሮቶች)
Presenter: Mrs. Senait Tibebu
Moderator: Dr. Ewenat Gebrehanna
Day 2 – Friday November 13, 2026
08:30 - 9:00 am
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Day 2 Registration and Sign-In
09:00 – 10:30am
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Roundtable Discussion:
Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence in Ethiopia: Current Landscape, Challenges, and Opportunities
Facilitator: Dr. Abel Mestie
Participants
Beamlak Alemayehu – Medanit
Dawit Birhan – Teninete
Dr. Rahel Zemene – Medrafa
Ibrahim Neji Awol – Tena AI (Ethio Health Guide)
Dr. Bethel Dereje – WeCare
Kidist Tesfaye – Yene Health
10:30-11:00 am
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Break and Poster presentation
Poster presentations
- Determinants of Cervical Cancer Screening Uptake among women of reproductive age in Zambia: A Machine Learning Analysis of the 2024 Demographic and Health Survey
- Predictors of self-reported sexually transmitted infections among men in 54 low- and middle-income countries: A comparison of deep learning and traditional machine learning algorithms
- Beyond the numbers: Mapping stillbirth hotspots in Ethiopia to drive digital health equity
- Effect of simulation-based Neonatal resuscitation training using an integrated device on neonatal clinical outcomes in Debre Birhan Public Health Facilities, Ethiopia
- Application of machine learning algorithms to model predictors of premarital HIV test non-uptake among married women in Ethiopia
- The Effects of mHealth Interventions on Essential Maternal Health Service Utilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
11:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
ROOM A: Oral Presentation – Demographic Transition
Moderator: Mr. Abrham Getachew, Dr. Kidist Lemma
11:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
ROOM B: Oral Presentation – Digital Health and AI
Moderator: Dr. Melsew Getnet, Dr. Saron Teka
01:00 - 2:00 pm
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
LUNCH & Networking
02:00 - 03:30 PM
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
ROOM A: Oral Presentation – Other SRH Issues
Moderator: Dr. Liliane Nzabamwita, Dr. Zewdie Aderaw
3:30 - 4:00 pm
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Break and Poster presentation
Poster presentations
- Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of cervical precancerous lesion treatment approaches: systematic review and meta-analysis
- Health extension workers-led education enhances reproductive-age women’s knowledge and uptake of cervical cancer screening in Dabat district, Ethiopia 2023: Effectiveness study
- Twice weekly oral iron-folic acid supplementation is an alternative to daily regimen in pregnancy: an open-label, randomized, controlled, non-inferiority trial
- Integrating cervical cancer screening into a community-based HIV program in Ethiopia: six-year outcomes from the family-focused HIV prevention, care, and treatment project
- Behavioral and Social Drivers of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake among Out-of-School Adolescent Girls in Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-sectional Study
4:00 - 5:00 pm
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Awards and Closing – Awarding best oral and poster presenters, Recognition of Development Partners and Sponsors, Concluding Remarks & Official Closing
Award Committees
SPIRHR / SPHMMC Leadership
7th Annual Reproductive Health Conference
Reproductive Health Services in the Era of Digital Health, Artificial Intelligence and Demographic Transition