Mr. Tewodros Melesse is a 54 years old Ethiopian.  He is married and is a father of two daughters.  A macro-economist graduate from the Catholic University of Louvain, he joined the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) as the Regional Director for Africa in 2002.  He started his reproductive health career as a Program Officer with the then Family Planning International Assistance (FPIA) of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America at its Africa Regional Office in Nairobi, Kenya in 1984.  He joined Pathfinder International in 1989 where he served as an Associate Regional Director for Africa until 1994, and then became the Pathfinder Country Representative for Ethiopia in 1995 where he worked until end of 2001.

Mr. Melesse plays a major advocacy role in moving the SRH Agenda within and across regions.  Recently the African Union adopted a Continental Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy Framework and a Continental Plan of Action known as the Maputo Plan of Action.  He played a key role in the development and adoption of these documents in partnership with UNFPA and other partner organizations.  He provides technical and management leadership to 44 Member Associations of IPPF in Sub-Saharan Africa in SRHR and HIV/AIDS.