About the Fellowship
Africa CDC launched the Africa Epidemic Services (AES) fellowship. The AES has three tracks: Epidemiology, Laboratory Leadership, and Public Health Informatics (PHI). The mission of the AES-PHI is to equip African professionals with public health informatics competencies for the digital age, so they can develop, manage, and lead informatics-savvy health organizations, and improve population health outcomes in Africa. The PHI fellowship is a flagship project within Africa CDC’s Digital Transformation Strategy and addresses programmatic goals set within the Framework for Workforce Development.
The AES-PHI training is designed as a two-year applied fellowship program featuring 80% practical and 20% didactic training delivered as in-person and virtual sessions with intervals of practical learning at designated host sites (Ministries of Health, National Public Health Institutes and Africa CDC Headquarters). The training will be conducted in English and French languages. The training will follow a learning-by-doing competency-based and a certificate of completion will be offered to successful participants. The AES-PHI Fellowship is expected to start in June 2025 with 20 Fellows selected across the continent.
Who should apply for the Fellowship?
This program targets qualified applicants across Africa Union Member states who are drawn from public health informatics and interested in practicing digital health and data science. Eligibles candidates must:
- Possess at least a BSc or a master’s degree in health-related or Computer Science, Data Science, or Information and Technology Sciences.
- Have a minimum of 3 years (For Master) and 5 years (For BSc) of relevant experience.
- If the primary degree is health-related, then experience with computer science, data science, or information sciences projects for health.
- If the primary degree is in computer science and other applications in health, then experience with Health, Medical, Clinical, or Bio- Informatics Public health, biostatistics, or epidemiology.
Candidate currently employed by Ministries of Health (MoH) or National Public Health Institutes (NPHI) or agency working closely with MoH/NPHI or relevant private sector is desirable.
The fellowship program will prioritize inclusivity, gender equity, and representation from across the continent.
Funding
AES-PHI Fellowship is fully funded. Africa CDC will provide all learning and development materials and meet all costs associated with the fellowship, including travel-related costs (e.g., airfare, lodging, incidentals), stipends, hardware, and insurance. Fellows will be supported to ensure that they have the relevant software and sufficient Internet connectivity for online learning.
How to Apply
All applications must be submitted using the online application form. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
All applicants must provide the following information:
- A national passport from an African Union Member State.
- An official letter of support with permission from a government institution to attend the two-year training programme with the right to return post training (different from Letter of Recommendation).
- Letters of recommendation from two reputable professional referees.
- An official degree and student copy transcripts of your bachelor’s degree. (The official transcript will be requested from your university upon acceptance to this program.)
- An official degree and student copy transcripts of your master’s degree. (The official transcript will be requested from your university upon acceptance to this program.)
- An updated Resume
- Statement of Purpose (1500 words maximum), outlining your formal education, work experience and why this program would be a good fit, and further outlining how this training will impact your country.
Completed applications with all supporting documents should be uploaded to the online portal. Incomplete applications will not be considered.