Yemelaknesh (Yemi) Wolde is a public health strategist and health financing expert with over a decade of experience designing and advancing systems that make healthcare more equitable, sustainable, and responsive to community needs. She has worked closely with governments and development partners to strengthen primary health care and reform the way health systems are financed and delivered.
Her areas of expertise include domestic resource mobilization, public financial management, benefits package design, private sector engagement, and the development of community-centered financing models that expand access to essential services. Yemi’s work bridges technical rigor with policy relevance – translating complex health financing concepts into actionable tools and reforms that support countries in their pursuit of universal health coverage.
Grounded in her early career as a clinician and health facility leader, Yemi brings a systems-thinking approach shaped by frontline experience. She is deeply committed to advancing equity, embedding accountability in health systems, and elevating underrepresented voices in health leadership, particularly women working at the intersection of policy, service delivery, and advocacy.
Yemi holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Addis Ababa University and a Master of Science in Public Health with a specialization in Health Economics from Umeå University in Sweden.
