Dr. Diriba Fufa Hordofa is passionate about helping needy children. Focusing on pediatric oncology has led him to his life’s plan of addressing the public health gaps in his home country of Ethiopia. Hordofa currently works at Jimma Medical Center as the Head of the Pediatric Oncology unit and the only pediatric hematologist/oncologist for the catchment population of more than 20 million people (about 20% of the total Ethiopian population.)
Hordofa earned his medical degree in 2009 and a diploma in pediatrics and child health in 2014, both from Jimma University in Jimma, Ethiopia. Hordofa earned his subspecialty certificate in pediatric Hematology-Oncology from the same institution. During his fellowship, he had two months observership at the U.S., one month each at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in Memphis, Tennessee, and Mount Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
“I decided to pursue a master’s degree from St. Jude to improve my understanding of global child health and improve my research and leadership skills to have a positive impact on the child health situation, particularly the childhood cancer programs in Ethiopia,” he says. “I was inspired by the relentless work of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to ensure the treatment of all childhood cancers and especially St. Jude Global’s commitment to reach the neediest children across the world.”
Education
Diploma - Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia (2014)
MD - Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia (2009)