Professor Dereje is a consultant obstetrician and gynecologist and senior public health specialist with an MPH and post-graduate diploma in research methodology (from Copenhagen University, Denmark).

He is currently an associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, associate editor-in-chief of the Ethiopian Journal of Reproductive Health (EJRH), which is an official journal of the ESOG and PI for self-care advocacy for the RMNCH project for ESOG.

Previously, he served as chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, clinical service director for a tertiary referral and teaching hospital, senate member for Jimma University, senior clinical advisor for EngenderHealth, and program lead for the USAID-funded RMNCH private health sector program, which was implemented by Abt Associates. Additionally, he also served as a senior expert health adviser for the office of the minister, MoH, Ethiopia.

Moreover, he was president of the Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG), an executive board member and honorary treasurer for the African Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AFOG), and a board member of the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO).

He has numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and also co-authored a number of national training manuals, guidelines, policy briefs, and reports on RMNC to his credit and has advised a number of postgraduate students on their theses.

He had led as PI the following projects: enhancing resident ship training and medical education; national private and public mix in RMNCH services; national FP service integration guideline; baseline survey on cervical cancer screening and preventive treatment for MSIE; end-line evaluation of the BEmONC project for the Ethiopian Midwifery Association (EMwA).

He was awarded a certificate of merit for serving ESOG as an executive board president for two terms, a certificate of appreciation from IPAS for long-term service in abortion care and RH, and a certificate of appreciation from the Harvard-based Maternal Health Taskforce and the International Institute of Education for successfully mentoring a young maternal health champion.

He is also currently serving as Vice Secretary General and Acting Registrar for ECSACOG.