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Gashaw Arega

Jan 3, 2026, 08:50

Gashaw Arega: Every Challenge, Every Success, Every Child I Cared For Reminds Me – This Work Matters

Gashaw Arega, Pediatric Hematologist and Oncologist at Addis Ababa University, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Eight Years of Service at AAU– A Reflection

Time has wings. Eight years feel both long and short—filled with patient stories, late-night research, teaching moments, and unforgettable journeys with colleagues and mentors.

I see a few gray hairs, tired mornings, and lessons etched into memory. And yet, every challenge, every success, every child I cared for reminds me: this work matters.

LinkedIn reminded me today that I have completed eight years of service at Addis Ababa University (AAU). This milestone offers an opportunity to reflect on a journey shaped by service, learning, research, collaboration, and purpose.
Over these years, I have been privileged to serve children and families through pediatric hematology and oncology care, primarily at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. My work extended beyond direct clinical care to include teaching medical students, residents, and fellows, contributing to service development, and participating in national efforts to strengthen childhood cancer care in Ethiopia. Each role reinforced the responsibility of academic medicine—to serve patients while building systems that endure.

The journey has been a profound learning experience. I learned that meaningful impact is rarely individual; it is built through multidisciplinary teamwork, mentorship, and shared vision. Working in a resource-limited setting taught me resilience, innovation, humility, and the importance of aligning clinical care with health-system realities. Mentorship—both given and received—proved as influential as any formal training.

Research has been a central pillar of my academic life. I contributed to and published peer-reviewed studies and case reports focusing on childhood cancers, disease patterns, treatment outcomes, diagnostic delays, and system gaps. These works were driven not by publication alone, but by the belief that local data should inform local practice and improve outcomes for children.
What I consider my greatest gains are not awards or titles, but trust—from patients and families, from colleagues, and from collaborators. I gained opportunities to work with inspiring national and international partners, to participate in capacity-building initiatives, and to contribute to the growing pediatric hematology-oncology community in Ethiopia.

Throughout this journey, certain questions consistently guided my thinking:

How can we reduce inequities in childhood cancer care?
How can research translate into real clinical impact?
How can Ethiopia build sustainable, multidisciplinary pediatric oncology services?

I am deeply grateful to Addis Ababa University and I also extend sincere appreciation to my mentors, colleagues, students, and collaborators whose dedication and integrity made this journey possible.
As I look forward, I do so with renewed commitment—to children, to science, to mentorship, and to strengthening systems that ensure no child is left behind.”

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