Deadline: 15-Jan-23

Applications are now open for the Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Programme to support aspirational Public Health Leaders (Fellows) from Africa in acquiring advanced skills and competencies to strategize, manage and lead public health programmes that will transform public health in Africa.

The African Union Commission launched the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) – Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Programme on 25 May 2020 in partnership with the Kofi Annan Foundation, following its approval by the Governing Board of Africa CDC in March 2018.

Fellows admitted in the programme will be senior public health professionals from African Union Member States who will contribute to and lead the implementation of a new public health order for Africa, and in turn mentor and develop the next generation of public health leaders for the continent.

Focus Areas

Fellows would have developed core competencies in the following areas:

• Superior skills in negotiation, health politics, partnerships, and health diplomacy, given the unique position of Africa CDC as a technical institution of the African Union
• Improved ability to influence and empower others to achieve go-getting, multidimensional health goals.
• Enhanced ability to frame and develop a viable strategic vision for ambitious yet attainable goals for health outcomes
• Strong knowledge of the key aspects of global public health history and principles; in particular, those relating to major political, economic, and social aspects of public health in Africa
• Learning with, and from, public health leaders from around the world, enhancing personal and professional global networks
• Deeper insight into personal leadership and career goals, and enhanced resilience, flexibility and efficiency
• Enhanced skills in effective communication and managing different media platforms to get vital messages across a range of agencies and contexts
• Improved ability to analyse the social, economic and political factors influencing the financing of healthcare and economic security

What does the Fellowship include?

• The Fellowship will support 12 months of high-level professional development in advanced public health leadership that includes acquiring skills in health diplomacy, change management, influencing policy, among others. Fellows will be supported by experienced experts in relevant fields from Africa and the diaspora. At the end of the programme, Fellows would have developed skills:
  • for competent leadership styles that influence and empower others to achieve challenging multidimensional health goals;
  • to frame and develop a viable strategic vision for bold, yet attainable goals for positive health outcomes;
  • for well-rounded globally competent leadership with attributes such as vision, resilience, flexibility and efficiency
  • to steer the complex environment of public health practice to achieve and maintain positive impact; and in health politics, negotiation, partnerships, and health diplomacy.

Why apply for the Fellowship?

• The programme targets aspirational leaders with a background in any field of public health including, but not limited to, One Health, human medicine, finance, health policy, animal health, or environmental health.
• These are leaders who want to acquire advanced skills in leading impactful health initiatives, employing health diplomacy, as well as enhance their ability to develop bold, strategic and achievable goals to propel Africa towards achieving Agenda 2063. If this is your aspiration and you are ready to advance public health outcomes in Africa, you should apply.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants for the Fellowship must:

• be citizens of an African Union Member State;
• possess a postgraduate degree in a relevant field in public health;
• have 10 years of professional experience in any field of public health, including but not limited to one health, medicine, finance, health economics, health policy, animal health, or environmental health;
• be in full-time employment in any area of public health, in a private or public institution in Africa;
• have a good track record or be able to demonstrate the potential for effective public health leadership where they can positively impact the public health outcomes of populations.
• Africa CDC is an equal opportunity organization. Qualified Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit African Union Commission.