Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health
My research focuses on using RCT to enhance teenage sexual and reproductive health (SRH).
I have experience working in higher education as a graduate assistant through an assistant professor. I've worked in lower, middle, and senior management and leadership positions as well. I also worked on international projects as an officer, which helped me develop my project management and planning skills. I have taken part in different international conferences.
Most recently, I attended the Australiasian SRH Conference, which took place from September 18–20, 2023. I also attended another international E-conference, which was held at Dambi Dollo University, where I spoke as the opening speaker and led a session. Another foreign conference I attended as a poster presenter was the NEPI/MEPI symposium in Nairobi, Kenya in 2016.
I graduated from Jimma University with a nursing bachelor's degree and a public health master's degree. I'm Birhanu Gutu, a doctoral candidate at the UTS School of Public Health.
My passion is influencing adolescent SRH policy via cutting-edge research. I have also written research papers and published them as a sole author, the primary author, and a co-author in regarded journals like PlosOne, BMC Public Health, and others.
As an associate consultant, I took part in research conducted around the nation. I have mostly served as a lead participant, chairperson, and secretary in many research committees. I provided various capacity-building training and health education for the community. I served as the task force's secretary and was a key player during the COVID-19 pandemic.
RESEARCH THESIS
Effect of parent-adolescent co-enrolment in sexuality education on sexual and reproductive health outcomes in Ethiopia: cluster randomized trial
In Ethiopia, talking about sex, sexuality and reproduction with children has been considered shameful behaviour and adolescents get no or little education on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) from family members. As a consequence, most youths in Ethiopia do not have the skills and mindset to practice safe sex and are exposed to multiple SRH-related problems. Consequent to these risky sexual behaviours STI, HIV/AIDS, and abortion rates in Ethiopia are highly prevalent. Though the government has given due attention towards reducing HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies, there was no single intervention implemented to halt the “no talk about SRH” culture at the community and family level.
The identification, evaluation and implementation of effective strategies are, therefore, critical to improving the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents. In many developed countries and some developing countries, parent-based interventions have been shown to be effective ways of shaping adolescents’ SRH behaviour as they are trusted by their children. Yet, parent- adolescents’ co-enrollment in sexuality education and its effect on SRH outcome is not known in Ethiopia and this research will be the first interventional study to be conducted in the country.
The quality of this research lies in its methodology, which will be an extensive in its design and analysis than any other research in the field.
I believe the result of this research provides the parents with the necessary knowledge, attitude and skills they need to teach their adolescent children about SRH issues and help the adolescents achieve the minimum quality SRH they need.
This evidence, therefore, will be used to inform the policy and strategy at national and local levels on how parents would effectively engage in adolescent SRH education, and networking the parents with other sources of SRH education like schools and health extension workers.
Supervision team
- Primary supervisor: Dr Daniel Demant
- Co-supervisor: A/Prof. Nikki Percival
- Co-supervisor: Dr Abela Mahimbo