WHO/AFRO Fellowship Programme on Public Health Emergencies in Africa

Healthcare systems remain challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in Africa. Every new spike in cases and fatalities puts more strain on an already overburdened workforce, depletes resources, and has a severe impact on the continent’s healthcare systems. The health staff needs possibilities for stability and progress while it adjusts to the ongoing crisis because the pandemic’s longevity is unpredictable. To guarantee the continuity of operations built on sound judgment and improved response times, healthcare leadership is crucial.

The pandemic, however, has made the gap between emergency management and public health leadership, policy, and research more obvious.

Implementing a new public health order that will equip Member States to quickly identify and effectively address public health concerns would therefore depend on having prepared public health managers with the necessary competencies to manage any epidemic.

In order to help 15 ambitious Master’s degree students, PhD fellows, and emergency public health managers and leaders (Fellows) in Africa develop advanced skills and competencies for strategizing, managing, and leading health programmes that will positively transform future public health emergency response on the continent, WHO AFRO is offering a three-month fellowship programme.

The fellowship programme aims to close the research-to-policy and emergency public health management gaps and create capable, adaptable managers and leaders in accordance with the requirements of the WHO Emergency Response Framework and the International Health Regulations (2005) for emergency response. Additionally, it aims to achieve and sustain a positive impact on health, politics, negotiation, alliances, and health diplomacy while navigating the challenging environment of public health practice.

In keeping with WHO’s Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) flagship program, which aims to strengthen and expand the quality and scope of public health emergency management in Africa over the next five years, the fellowship will take a hybrid approach, combining face-to-face engagements with technology-based activities.

Number of Fellowship to be awarded.

A total of 15 fellowships will be awarded to:

• Five Master’s degree students;
• Five PhD students;
• Five mid- and senior-level public health experts.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be citizens of any WHO Member State working on COVID-19, with priority given to citizens of Member States of the WHO African Region.
• Be registered in a Master’s degree programme (Master’s Fellows).
• Be registered in a PhD programme (PhD/DPhil Fellows).
• Be a full-time employee (in the public/private sector or academia) with a Master’s degree or public health qualification or PhD (mid- or senior-level career Fellows).
• Have professional experience in public health (One Health, medicine, health financing, health economics, health policy, animal health, social sciences, and environmental health).
• Possess relevant experience that has contributed to the advancement of public health emergency management in Africa.
• Demonstrate potential for effective public health management that can positively impact the health outcomes of populations.

· Develop an achievable proposal that addresses strategic challenges for improving the management of public health emergencies on the continent.

How to apply

• Candidates must present the following requirements:
• A recent Curriculum Vitae
• Confirmation of registration in an academic institution (for Master’s degree and PhD fellows)
• Letter of employment (mid- and senior-level experts)
• A 500-word motivation statement for the Master’s degree students outlining their objectives and plan for the fellowship.
• A 2000 – 3000-word proposal for all applicants (Master’s, PhD students and mid-/senior-level experts) outlining the proposed project with the following section:
  • Introduction of the subject of research
  • Relevance and pertinence of the subject
  • Brief literature review on the subject
  • Objectives
  • Research plan and activities
  • Potential use of the outcomes of the research
  • Conclusion

Submission Deadline

Applications are due by: 13 November 2022: EMAIL: whoafrofellowship@who.int