WHO/AFRO Fellowship Program on Public Health Emergencies for Africans

The World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) invites interested and eligible candidates to submit applications for a fellowship program on improving the management of public health emergencies in Africa under the COVID-19 Incident Management Support Team (IMST).

Description of the WHO/AFRO Fellowship Program.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a challenge to healthcare systems, particularly in Africa. Every new surge in cases and deaths stresses an already overworked and overstretched workforce, strains resources, and negatively affects healthcare operations on the continent. The pandemic’s uncertain duration means that healthcare communities must provide opportunities for stability and growth to the health workforce as it adapts to the ongoing situation. Healthcare leadership is essential in ensuring the continuity of operations based on effective decision-making and enhanced response operations.

However, the gap between emergencies and public health management skills, leadership, policy, and research has become increasingly evident during the pandemic.

Having well-prepared public health managers with the requisite skills to manage any pandemic is therefore critical for implementing a new public health order that will prepare Member States to promptly detect and effectively respond to public health threats.

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Aims and Objectives of the WHO/AFRO Fellowship Program

Through a three-month fellowship program, WHO AFRO seeks to support 15 aspirational Master’s degree students, Ph.D. fellows, and emergency public health managers and leaders (Fellows) in Africa in acquiring advanced skills and competencies for strategizing, managing, and leading health programs that will positively transform future public health emergency response on the continent.

The fellowship program seeks to bridge the emergency public health management and research-to-policy gaps and produce well-equipped, versatile managers and leaders as required by the WHO Emergency Response Framework and the International Health Regulations (2005) for emergency response. Additionally, it seeks to navigate the complex environment of public health practice to achieve and maintain a positive impact on health, politics, negotiation, partnerships, and health diplomacy.

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