The African Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Fellowship Cohort 3 has officially opened applications for qualified public health professionals across Africa. The programme, organised by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), is designed to strengthen the continent’s capacity to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies. The fellowship is set to begin in June 2026.
The fellowship is a full-time, fully funded six-month residential programme that targets mid-career African public health professionals who have experience managing Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs) or leading emergency preparedness and response programmes. Applicants must come from countries that are members of the African Union. The programme aims to equip professionals with advanced knowledge and practical skills needed to strengthen emergency management systems within their home countries.
Participants selected for the fellowship will undergo standardised training combined with structured mentorship, hands-on experience, and technical support. The training model is based on the design of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC) Public Health Emergency Management Fellowship. During the programme, fellows will receive specialised training in public health emergency management functions and operations.
In addition to classroom instruction, fellows will participate in study tours and gain practical experience working within the Africa CDC Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). They will also take part in public health simulation exercises and real emergency response activities, while receiving guidance from global experts in emergency management.
After completing the fellowship and returning to their home countries, participants will be expected to help expand and strengthen public health emergency management programmes. Fellows are also expected to take on leadership and advisory roles that support national emergency preparedness and response efforts.
The programme is open to applicants from Central, Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Africa. It is specifically designed for mid-level public health professionals who already have experience in managing emergency operations centres or leading preparedness and response initiatives within their countries.
To qualify for the fellowship, applicants must meet several requirements. Candidates must be citizens of an African Union member state and must not be older than 50 years by July 31, 2026. Applicants must also hold a postgraduate degree in public health or a related field and possess relevant professional experience in areas such as PHEOC operations, One Health, medicine, logistics and supply chain management, health economics, health policy, animal health, or environmental health. In addition, applicants must be full-time government-employed civil servants working in public health institutions within Africa.
Applicants must also demonstrate the potential to implement and strengthen public health emergency management programmes in their countries after completing the fellowship.
Selection into the programme will be strictly merit-based. Interested applicants can review additional information through the brochure:
Download African PHEM fellowship cohort III brochure via africacdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Final_Brochure-PHEM-Fellowship-1.pdf.
The deadline for applications is March 31, 2026, while successful applicants are expected to be notified by May 2026.
To apply, interested candidates should visit: https://impact.africacdc.org/form/phem-fellowship-cohort-iii.
