Africa CDC launches the African Public Health Emergency Management Fellowship Cohort III, a six-month residential programme to strengthen emergency preparedness and response across African Union member states. Apply by 31 March 2026.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has officially announced the launch of the African Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Fellowship Cohort III, a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening health security across the continent.
As Africa continues to confront complex and recurring public health threats—from infectious disease outbreaks to humanitarian crises—the need for a well-trained, responsive, and self-sustaining workforce has never been more urgent. The fellowship is a direct response to this need, aligning with the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) Agenda and the broader vision of the African Union (AU) to build resilient public health systems through long-term capacity development.
Context: Building a Self-Sustaining Health Security Workforce
Public health emergencies require coordinated leadership, operational efficiency, and rapid response systems. Across Africa, Public Health Emergency Operations Centers (PHEOCs) play a pivotal role in coordinating detection, preparedness, and response efforts. However, the effectiveness of these centres depends heavily on the availability of skilled professionals capable of managing complex emergencies.
The Africa CDC PHEM Fellowship addresses this gap by developing a cadre of African professionals who can initiate, lead, and institutionalise emergency management programmes within their respective countries. The programme is specifically designed to equip participants with the expertise required to manage PHEOCs and oversee emergency preparedness and response systems at national and regional levels.
Fellowship Goal and Objectives
The overarching goal of the fellowship is clear:
To develop a highly skilled African public health workforce capable of coordinating and leading preparedness and response efforts to public health emergencies across the continent.
The programme achieves this through several structured objectives:
- Providing fellows with up-to-date knowledge in public health emergency management and PHEOC operations.
- Offering in-depth exposure to how PHEOCs function in both preparedness and active response settings.
- Building advanced competencies in managing operational functions within emergency response environments.
- Establishing a sustainable, institutionalised PHEM training programme across Africa.
This initiative represents a long-term investment in African-led solutions to African public health challenges.
Fellowship Overview
The PHEM Fellowship targets mid-career public health professionals drawn from African Union Member States. Applicants must already have experience managing PHEOCs or leading emergency preparedness and response programmes within government institutions.
Participants will undergo a comprehensive training and mentorship programme, leveraging the fellowship design model of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The curriculum integrates:
- Standardised classroom-based instruction
- Structured mentorship from experienced professionals
- Hands-on operational experience
- Technical assistance exposure
- Participation in public health exercises and live responses
Fellows will also receive guidance from global emergency management specialists and participate in study tours that broaden their understanding of emergency operations beyond their home countries.
Upon completion of the programme, fellows are expected to return to their countries prepared to expand national emergency management frameworks and assume leadership or advisory roles within public health systems.
Fellowship Structure
The PHEM Fellowship is a six-month, full-time residential programme requiring complete commitment from selected fellows.
Cohort III will be hosted across two key training sites:
- The Africa CDC Headquarters in Ethiopia
- The Southern Regional Collaborative Centre in Zambia
The structure includes:
Fourteen Weeks of In-Person Instruction
Fellows will receive intensive classroom training while being paired with experienced mentors to reinforce applied learning.
Two Weeks of Study Tours
Each fellow will visit one PHEOC within Africa and one outside the continent, allowing comparative exposure to international best practices.
Four Weeks of Field Placement
Participants will be embedded in operational PHEOCs or active emergency response settings, gaining real-world experience.
Four Weeks of Project Completion and Evaluation
The programme concludes with project presentations, performance evaluations, and graduation.
This structured approach ensures both theoretical mastery and practical competency.
Target Audience
The fellowship is tailored for mid-level public health professionals employed full-time within government institutions. Candidates should have demonstrable experience in emergency preparedness, response coordination, or PHEOC operations.
Fields of expertise may include:
- Public health
- One Health
- Medicine
- Health economics
- Health policy
- Animal health
- Environmental health
- Logistics and supply chain
- Finance related to health systems
Selection Criteria
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Be a citizen 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 field.
- Be a full-time government-employed civil servant in a public health institution.
- Demonstrate the potential to implement impactful public health emergency management programmes upon returning home.
Selection will be conducted by an independent committee comprising experts from the African Union Commission, Africa CDC, and technical partners.
The process will be strictly merit-based, with a strong emphasis on equal opportunity and representation of underrepresented groups.
Encouragement for Underrepresented Countries
Africa CDC strongly encourages applications from less represented African Union Member States, including 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.
Site allocation for selected fellows remains at the discretion of Africa CDC.
Important Dates
- Application Deadline: 31 March 2026
- Notification of Successful Applicants: May 2026
- Programme Start Date: June 2026
Interested candidates can download the official brochure and submit their applications via the designated online platform before the closing date.
Advancing Africa’s Health Sovereignty
The African Public Health Emergency Management Fellowship Cohort III is more than a training programme—it is a strategic pillar in strengthening Africa’s health sovereignty. By building leadership capacity in emergency management, Africa CDC reinforces the continent’s ability to detect, prepare for, and respond effectively to disease threats.
Through this initiative, Africa CDC continues its mandate of enhancing the capacity and capability of public health institutions across Africa, ensuring that emergency responses are data-driven, coordinated, and locally led.
For qualified public health professionals committed to safeguarding Africa’s health security, this fellowship represents a transformative opportunity to lead change at national and continental levels.
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