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.
Number of Fellowship to be awarded
A total of 15 fellowships will be awarded to:
- Five Master’s degree students;
- Five Ph.D. 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 program (Master’s Fellows).
- Be registered in a Ph.D. program (Ph.D./DPhil Fellows).
- Be a full-time employee (in the public/private sector or academia) with a Master’s degree or public health qualification or Ph.D. (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. This includes Master’s degrees and Ph.D. 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. This includes Master’s, Ph.D. 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
Fellowship Benefits
WHO AFRO will provide financial support to the fellows to cover tuition and research fees.
For more information, visit the Fellowship’s Official Page
