Africa CDC’s two-year Public Health Informatics (PHI) Fellowship begins this year as part of the Africa Epidemic Services (AES), an elite workforce program supporting Member States.
The final draft of the fellowship curriculum was approved during a workshop held from June 11-14, 2024, at Africa CDC Headquarters in Addis Ababa. Over 45 participants, including representatives from member states, the Technical Advisory Group, and partners such as HELINA (Health Informatics in Africa), US-CDC, USAID, GIZ, and academic institutions, attended the workshop.
The Africa Epidemic Services is a flagship project within Africa CDC’s Digital Transformation Strategy and aligns with the programmatic goals outlined in the 2020-2025 Framework for Workforce Development.
According to the concept note, the AES-PHI aims to equip African professionals with public health informatics competencies for the digital age. This will enable them to develop, manage, and lead informatics-savvy health organizations and improve African population health outcomes.
The AES-PHI training model is designed as a two-year applied fellowship program featuring 80% practical and 20% instructional training. The training is delivered through in-person and virtual sessions, with practical learning intervals at designated host sites, including Ministries of Health and National Public Health Institutes.
The first cohort’s field training host sites include the National Public Health Institutes of Morocco, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as the Ministries of Health of Kenya and Senegal.
At the end of the applied training, fellows are expected to develop a comprehensive understanding of public health informatics, including core competencies and knowledge in data management, information systems, and digital technologies.
The fellows will also be able to support the development of strategic direction for public health informatics within their organizations, ensuring that interventions adhere to relevant laws, regulations, and policies. Numerous partners, including the US CDC, Resolve to Save Lives, GIZ, HELINA, and the University of Washington/PATH have supported the initial phase of the AES-PHI fellowship. These initial investments have resulted in the development of a comprehensive curriculum outline.
