Dr. Tigist Bekele

Dr. Tigist Bekele is a consultant ophthalmologist at Menelik II Hospital in Addis Ababa — one of Ethiopia's oldest and most prominent public hospitals, operating as a major referral centre for ophthalmological and surgical care in Addis Ababa. With 15 years of specialist practice, Dr. Bekele addresses one of Ethiopia's most critical public health needs: the prevention of avoidable blindness in a country with one of the highest rates of preventable visual impairment in the world.

Ethiopia carries one of the world's largest burdens of trachoma — the leading infectious cause of preventable blindness globally. Dr. Bekele has extensive experience in trachoma management, including trichiasis surgery (correction of inturned lashes that cause corneal scarring), and contributes to Ethiopia's national SAFE strategy for trachoma elimination. Ethiopia also has very high rates of cataract-related blindness due to limited access to surgery, and Dr. Bekele performs both phacoemulsification and manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) — which requires no expensive equipment and is adaptable to resource-limited settings outside Addis Ababa.

Glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy are increasingly common as Ethiopia's population ages and diabetes prevalence rises, and Dr. Bekele manages these conditions within the available resources of the Ethiopian public health system.

She completed a Certificate in Community Eye Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and is a member of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

Dr. Bekele completed her Doctor of Medicine at Addis Ababa University College of Health Sciences — Ethiopia's leading medical school and the country's foremost centre for health professional training. She undertook her ophthalmology residency and MSc in Ophthalmology at Addis Ababa University, based at the university's teaching eye clinic. She completed a Certificate in Community Eye Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) — a globally recognised credential in population-level eye health and blindness prevention. She has participated in clinical training workshops in manual small incision cataract surgery organised by the Fred Hollows Foundation and Orbis International in Ethiopia.

Dr. Bekele's cataract surgery practice covers both phacoemulsification (when technology is available) and manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS), which she performs with high volume and efficiency. MSICS requires no phacoemulsification equipment and can be performed in district hospital settings, enabling Dr. Bekele to participate in outreach surgery camps in rural Ethiopia.

For trachoma, she performs trichiasis surgery to correct inturned eyelashes and prevent further corneal scarring, and coordinates with community health workers on the distribution of azithromycin and health education. She manages glaucoma with topical medications (prostaglandin analogues, beta-blockers) and surgical trabeculectomy where indicated. She manages diabetic retinopathy with laser photocoagulation and intravitreal injections where available. She provides low vision services including optical aids and rehabilitation counselling for patients with irreversible visual loss.

Menelik II Hospital primarily serves the Ethiopian domestic population, but Dr. Bekele is accessible to international patients — including expatriate staff, NGO and UN agency workers, diplomats, and volunteers resident in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia hosts a large international community given its role as the seat of the African Union and numerous UN organisations, and English-language ophthalmological care is in demand.

Dr. Bekele consults in Amharic, Oromiffa, and English. She can manage common ophthalmic conditions including cataract assessment and surgery, glaucoma monitoring, refractive error assessment, and conjunctivitis. For conditions requiring advanced technology not available in Addis Ababa — such as vitreoretinal surgery, glaucoma implant devices, or phacoemulsification microincision surgery — she facilitates referrals to South Africa, India, or abroad through established medical evacuation pathways.

Dr. Bekele has been recognised by the Ethiopian Ophthalmological Society for her contributions to trachoma surgery and cataract outreach in rural Ethiopia. She received a fellowship award from the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) for her community eye health work — the ICO fellowship programme supports ophthalmologists in low-income countries making significant contributions to blindness prevention.

She has been commended by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) for her participation in national trachoma elimination programmes, and holds a Certificate in Community Eye Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) — a globally recognised credential in population-level eye health. She has trained with the Fred Hollows Foundation and Orbis International in high-volume cataract surgery techniques.