Africa CDC Launches Cohort 3 of the African Fully Funded Public Health Emergency Management Fellowship

The third cohort of the Africa CDC African Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Fellowship is now officially open for applications.

Led by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, this prestigious and fully funded six-month residential fellowship aims to strengthen Africa’s capacity to detect, prepare for, and respond to public health emergencies.

Public health professionals from across African Union Member States are invited to apply before the 31 March 2026 deadline, with the programme scheduled to begin in June 2026.

Fellowship Goal and Strategic Context

The fellowship aligns with the African Union’s Africa Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) Agenda, which emphasizes workforce development as a pillar of sustainable health security systems. As public health threats—including epidemics, pandemics, and climate-linked health crises—continue to affect the continent, the need for a highly trained emergency management workforce has become urgent.

The programme seeks to:

• Develop a skilled cadre of African public health leaders
• Strengthen Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs)
• Build sustainable emergency preparedness systems across AU Member States
• Enhance Africa’s capacity for timely detection and coordinated response to outbreaks

Fellowship Structure

The PHEM Fellowship is a full-time, fully funded, six-month residential programme requiring complete commitment from selected fellows.

Training Locations:

• Africa CDC Headquarters, Ethiopia
• Southern Regional Collaborating Centre (RCC), Zambia

Programme Components:

• 14 weeks of in-person intensive classroom training
• Mentorship pairing with experienced emergency management professionals
• 2-week study tours (one PHEOC within Africa and one outside Africa)
• 4-week field placement in emergency response or PHEOC settings
• 4 weeks dedicated to project completion, evaluation, and graduation

Participants will also gain hands-on experience at Africa CDC’s Emergency Operations Centre and engage in real-world public health emergency exercises.

Who Should Apply?

The fellowship targets mid-career African public health professionals currently serving in government institutions.

Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must:

• Be citizens of an African Union Member State
• Be 50 years old or younger by 31 July 2026
• Hold a postgraduate degree in public health or a related discipline
• Be full-time government-employed civil servants in public health
• Have professional experience in:
  • PHEOC operations
  • Emergency preparedness and response
  • One Health
  • Medicine
  • Logistics and supply chain
  • Health economics
  • Health policy
  • Animal or environmental health
• Demonstrate leadership potential to implement PHEM programmes upon return to their home country

The selection process is merit-based and conducted by an independent committee comprising experts from the African Union Commission, Africa CDC, and technical partners. Equal opportunity principles will guide final selections.

Encouraged Countries

Applicants from underrepresented AU Member States are strongly encouraged to apply. These include:

Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Sahrawi Democratic Republic, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, South Africa, South Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, and Zambia.

Funding and Benefits

The fellowship is fully funded, covering:

• Training costs
• Study tours
• Field placements
• Mentorship support
• Programme materials

Selected fellows are expected to return to their home countries and take up leadership and advisory roles in strengthening national public health emergency management systems.

Important Dates

• Application Deadline: 31 March 2026
• Notification of Successful Applicants: May 2026
• Programme Start Date: June 2026

How to Apply

Interested candidates can apply through the official Africa CDC application portal:

https://impact.africacdc.org/form/phem-fellowship-cohort-iii

Applicants are also encouraged to download and review the official fellowship brochure before submitting their application.

Why This Fellowship Matters

Africa continues to face multiple public health challenges—from infectious disease outbreaks to humanitarian crises and climate-driven health emergencies. Building a continent-wide network of emergency management professionals is essential to safeguarding health systems and communities.

Through structured training, mentorship, and international exposure, the Africa CDC PHEM Fellowship is equipping the next generation of African public health leaders to respond decisively and effectively when emergencies strike.

Qualified public health professionals are strongly encouraged to apply before 31 March 2026 and become part of a transformative initiative shaping the future of health security in Africa.

APPLY HERE

For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram , WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and WPChannel

Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.