Yohannes (John) Assefa is an Ethiopian PhD candidate at Australian Catholic University, Australia. His PhD research focuses on occupational therapy interventions for children with cerebral palsy in Ethiopia, specifically evaluating the outcomes and feasibility of the Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach. Originally developed in Canada, the CO-OP approach has primarily been implemented in high-income Western countries. Yohannes’ research explores how this evidence-based intervention can be adapted and contextualised for low- and middle-income countries such as Ethiopia.

Yohannes previously worked as a lecturer in the first occupational therapy department in Ethiopia at the University of Gondar and was one of only four occupational therapists practising in the country at the time. His clinical, academic, and community experiences exposed him to the major gaps in rehabilitation services for children with disabilities in Ethiopia, particularly children with cerebral palsy. Limited rehabilitation infrastructure and the extremely low therapist-to-population ratio mean that many children and families do not receive the support they need to participate in everyday life, education, and their communities.

Driven by these realities, Yohannes designed his PhD research to explore innovative and sustainable rehabilitation approaches for low-resource settings. His study examines whether community rehabilitation health workers can effectively deliver the CO-OP intervention with close coaching and monitoring from occupational therapists. The findings from his research have shown promising outcomes, demonstrating improvements in children’s everyday task performance, participation, and goal achievement.

Yohannes is currently in the final phase of his PhD journey, having successfully completed his final review presentation and now focusing on thesis writing. Beyond his research, he is passionate about improving access to rehabilitation services for children with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries and contributing to the continued growth of occupational therapy education and practice in Ethiopia.

As an AFSAAP postgraduate representative, Yohannes hopes to contribute to important conversations around disability, rehabilitation, health equity, and African-led research while strengthening connections among postgraduate researchers across Africa and Australasia. He believes that evidence developed in high-income countries can be meaningfully adapted to local cultural and healthcare contexts to create sustainable and impactful rehabilitation solutions for communities in Africa.

Stay tuned for our next postgraduate profile highlight this June! Connect with us for fresh insights into Australia–Africa research and discover the inspiring work of our postgraduate students making an impact across diverse fields.

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